Anthology of the Supernatural
by ariathal2410
Summary: A series of (mostly) oneshots loosely inspired by Supernatural (the show) and THE supernatural (the "genre", myths, legends etc). Some will be GEN others will contain pairings (probably Poker Pair), individual summaries and warnings inside. Rated M to be safe. Chapter 4: The Whim of the Winds - Poker Pair, Kitsune! Allen
1. Skinwalker - GEN

**AN** : Okay, so I've been playing around with this idea for a while now, and decided that I will finally put it into effect. So, as stated in the main summary, this series of (mostly) one-shots will encompass the Supernatural world and anything that pertains to _the_ supernatural. That being said, I may or may not _strictly_ follow the lore surrounding what I draw inspiration from, and I might make up my own stories from scratch. I will mostly be doing one-shots, though I may be inspired to expand some ideas. Updates will be sporadic. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated, and if you have any ideas or prompts you want me to run, PM me (or just review if you're a guest, I guess). Pairings are up for discussion, but I'm pretty hardcore into Poker Pair (Laven's good too) and I don't particularly like Yullen or Allena (sorry). Hope you enjoy!

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ As a young skinwalker Allen is quick to learn what he is and what he needs to do to survive. But when a young human takes him in off the street, he starts to realise there's more to life than just surviving. He lives happily with the two brothers, until one realises what Allen is and deems him a threat. Will Allen live happily ever after with his newfound family, or will he die at the hands of the ones he loves most? GEN, AU, _Inspired by the Supernatural season 6 ep All Dogs Go To Heaven_

 _ **Genre:**_ Family, Supernatural, Drama - _**Rating:**_ M for violent themes - _**Characters:**_ Allen, Mana, Neah, Katerina

 **WARNINGS:** there is a pretty damn gory bit, minor character deaths, possible OOC, light swearing

* * *

Allen stretched his paws out languidly, or paw really, since the other was trapped rather tightly underneath his human. He let out a wide yawn, stretching further over the man sleeping soundly beside him. He cracked a single eye open, eyeing the man before flicking his attention towards the window. It was nearly daybreak, they'd have to get up soon. He let out a huff, tucking his head over Mana's neck and closing his eye to wait for the alarm. Minutes passed before his ears picked up a sharp _click,_ and soft, melodic music begun to play. Allen had always loved the music box Neah made for his brother. He cracked his eye open again to see Mana ignoring it. As usual. Allen stretched again, forcing himself away from the comfort of his sleeping human. He pressed his nose to the man's cheek, licking after a moment of inactivity. Mana giggled happily, but still refused to move.

" _Come one Mana, get up._ " Allen huffed, not that the human could understand him. He was just a dog, after all. Well, sort of. There _was_ the tidbit that he could turn into a human, and had to eat hearts to survive, but he preferred his life as Mana's canine friend. Having a loving family was far preferable to living on the streets. He pushed the thought aside, for now, and went back to trying to wake his human.

He let out a low _woof_ , nudging Mana's cheek, but the man simply groaned and rolled over. Allen rolled his eyes. How could his human be so lazy? Sleep was nice, yes, but going on walks through the forest trail were far more appealing in his opinion. Then again, he didn't have to work, so there was that… He huffed again when Mana continued to snooze, and decided desperate times called for desperate measures. He stuck his head as far under Mana's body as he could, the man grumbling all the while, and promptly flipped him off the bed. Mana landed with a yelp and a _thud_. He reached up for purchase, almost pulling the blanket down on top of him as he dragged himself into a seated position and perched his chin on the bed.

"Allen~ That was mean~" Mana whined, scrunching up his face when Allen licked him. "Alright, alright, I'm up." He complained, scrubbing his face as he stood slowly. His eyes were still closed and he let out a wide yawn, stretching on the tips of his toes. Allen heard a loud _pop_ sound from the man's back and Mana sighed, slumping back down and shuffling towards the bathroom. After washing his face the man finally looked somewhat awake, his hair a relative birds nest as he trailed downstairs for breakfast. He made a beeline for the kitchen, but stopped to pout at the door on his way through. Neah hadn't been home in over a month, and Mana was missing him terribly. Honestly, Allen didn't know how the man could stand to leave Mana alone for such extended periods, he was far too lonely by himself. Then again, he wasn't _really_ by himself, he had Allen. But as far as they knew, Allen was just a dog, and dogs were not humans, no matter how they tried.

He brushed the thought aside, following Mana into the kitchen. He watched the man rifle through the cupboard for a moment before pulling out a bowel and heading to the fridge. Allen trotted towards the pantry, carefully grabbed a box of oatmeal in his jaw and brought it out, easily shoving it onto the bench. Mana laughed lightly, petting him with a quiet 'thank you'. Allen followed him around the kitchen, watching as he pulled out another bowl and poured some for both of them. He heated them up until they were gooey mush, added some honey and plopped onto the couch, putting Allen's on the cushion beside him. Allen carefully hopped up beside him and they ate their breakfast together. Neah didn't like it when they ate on the couch, since it was hard to clean if they made a mess. Though Allen was fairly sure Mana only did it in silent protest to his brother's escapades.

After breakfast they went on a run through the fields, chasing each other and playing until Mana's watch beeped, signalling that he needed to get ready for work. The man left Allen some lunch out, a nice helping of chicken and a cored apple, and went on his way. The Skinwalker waited until he was sure Mana was gone before shifting into his human form. He put his lunch back in the fridge for later, and went outside to hunt. It was always best to eat a heart first, and then have lunch, otherwise he would still feel hungry afterwards. Damn humans and their getting him addicted to three meals a day… not that he really minded. Besides, eating later also helped with hiding the smell from his hunt. Allen smiled fondly at the simple thought of Mana, and set off at a run. Hunting was always an easy routine to settle into, go into the forest, take a deep breath to catch the smell of an animal and then run. Sometimes it was quick, other times it took hours and he worried Mana might get home before him, but it never happened.

Today was one of the quick days. He picked up a scent easily and began the chase. A deer. Allen crept closer, and pounced. A leap, a bite, a quick snap and the deer was dead. The teen often wondered if he should bring his kills back to save the twins money, but as quick as the idea came he threw it away. God knows how his humans would react if they found out he'd been out hunting when they were gone. After he'd finished eating, he ran down to the stream, cleaned up and ran home. Allen flopped onto the couch and stretched languidly, slowly eating the food Mana had left for him. He settled comfortably after he was done, shifted back into a dog and closed his eyes. Allen woke to hearing the door swing open and Mana's cheerful greeting. He yawned widely before letting off a small bark of greeting back. Mana giggled when he came in to see Allen sprawled on the couch on his back.

"You're such a weirdo…" He laughed, rubbing Allen's belly. The Skinwalker yipped happily and aimed a lick at the man's face as Mana chortled happily. The man pressed a kiss to his muzzle and cuddled up to him. Allen let the man roll them so he was on the couch and Allen was settled on top of him. The teen stretched with a yawn and snuggled up, tucking his snout under Mana's chin. The man giggled again, arms wrapped around Allen in an approximation of a hug and running his fingers through his fur.

"Hey, Allen, let's go for a walk." Mana suggested, his tone bordering on a whine. Allen perked up immediately, nodding his head in agreement and jumped up from his position. Mana grinned, and headed straight to the door. They had ditched the leash years ago, when Allen proved that he wasn't about to run off if they let him go, and if he did, he always came back.

It was late in the afternoon, and the sun was beginning to set behind the trees, casting a deep, golden glow on everything the light touched. They started off at a jog, veering towards the forest trail they always used. Allen always had to take care not to hunt too close to the trail, he didn't need his precious humans freaking out over nothing. They jogged and ran intermittently, only walking for brief breaks. They were about three quarters through the trail when Allen stopped suddenly, ears flattening as he growled low in his throat. That smell… He knew that smell. That wasn't a good smell! He let out a guttural snarl as he saw the shadow of a person in the woods. Mana tensed beside him, but Allen didn't look up. There was only one, Allen could deal with it. The shadow prowled closer, just enough so that the Skinwalker could make them out. The teen looked to be only a few years older than him, and his single eye was glued on Mana. Allen gave a harsh bark, snapping the vampire's attention to him.

" _Back off!"_ He snarled, gnashing his jaw threateningly. _"You touch him and I'll rip your head off!"_ The vampire sized him up, chewed on his lip, nodded, and slowly backed away. Allen waited until he could no longer hear footsteps before he tugged on Mana's pant leg, quickly leading his human away. The Skinwalker paused every now and then, listening and sniffing the air to make sure they weren't being followed, and soon made it out of the forest unhindered. He huffed. Should've known it was a bad idea to go for a walk this late…

Allen circled Mana's legs once in comfort before walking through the familiar fields to get home. Mana was jumpy for the rest of the night, eyes darting to every shadow and flinching at every small sound, not relaxing until they were both inside and his back was pressed firmly against the locked door. Mana sighed in relief and slumped down next to Allen, who immediately crawled into his lap. As much as he could anyway. He wasn't a puppy anymore, and was far too large to curl up in the man's lap now. Mana gave him a soft smile, running his fingers through Allen's fur to calm himself down. Eventually, they made their way upstairs to get ready for bed. When he was done, Mana peered out his window, closed the curtains once satisfied and climbed into bed. Allen let himself stretch languidly before jumping up and taking his place next to his wonderful human. The Skinwalker settled right against the man, stretching his paw over his chest and propping his head over Mana's neck. Only once Mana's breathing had evened out did Allen let his eyes slip closed, and drifted into dreams of a different time.

* * *

Allen, or Red as he had been back then, had learnt quickly what he was and what he had to do to survive. He was a Skinwalker, a monster with the ability to transform from a human into an animal (a dog in his case), and he had to eat hearts to survive. Which was a bitch, really. Honestly, it was hard enough to survive on the streets as it was, but the extra burden of _needing_ to eat hearts? It was seriously a pain. Lucky for him though, he seemed to be different than others of his kind. While they needed human hearts specifically, Allen could survive perfectly well off animal hearts, which were far easier to obtain. Though he also learnt quickly that people didn't appreciate it when he killed their pets, so most cats and dogs were off the table. Rats were small and kinda gross, but it got him through the day, and that was what mattered. You couldn't afford to be picky with your food on the street, after all. He was around six when everything changed.

Red had been in his human form that day, sitting in a damp side-street to escape the worst of the rain. A human only a few years older than himself had passed by, then turned back. Red had thought he was lost. But the boy stared at him in worry, even when his brother tugged at him to hurry up because they were getting wet. The boy stared for a moment more, before doing something that shattered Red's world. He took off his raincoat and wrapped it around Red's shoulders. The red-head was so shocked that for a moment he couldn't move, and only stared as the boy gave him a brilliant smile and waved as he ran off with his brother. After a moment, Red was finally able to move, drawing the coat around himself tighter and scowling into the night. All he could think was _why?_ Why had that human given him his coat for nothing? Humans were cruel creatures, and Red didn't care what happened to them. Why was that one different? _Was_ he different? The child pushed the thought aside, and huddled in on himself against the cold. A single act of kindness didn't make up for years of abuse.

It was barely a week later when he saw the boy again. It was sunny today, so Red could see him far better. Dark, curly hair and pretty golden eyes, his brother was the same. He smiled at Red so warmly that the boy faltered in shooing him away. It wouldn't do either of them any good to be seen together, after all. People were not fond of him. He could already see a few dirty looks aimed at them. Red almost sneered. Surely, he wasn't worth the trouble. Surely, this boy _was_ trouble. The older boy seemed to sense his apprehension and turned to see them. Several adults were glaring at him with unhidden disdain. Red was different, even as a human. He couldn't control his transformation properly, and his arm always got stuck. Half-human, half-dog. The shape was relatively normal, but his whole arm was covered in short, soft fur the colour of his hair. Rust-red. It stood out. He swallowed back a sneer and turned to leave. He didn't need another beating… A small hand stopped him. He turned to snarl when something was shoved in his mouth. Something warm and soft and _delicious_.

Red couldn't stop himself from eating the burger, though he scowled heavily while doing so. He gave the older boy a suspicious look, much to his apparent humour. He giggled happily, pulling the wrapper back when Red got too close to it, feeding him with a brilliant smile. The brother never strayed too far, though he was currently sneering at the adults who were giving his twin filthy looks. This continued with startling frequency for almost a month before Red broke the streak. It was raining again, and the human adults had attacked him. They beat him and called him horrible things, freak, scum, _monster_. Nothing new, and it was technically true, but it still hurt. He would heal quickly, but he couldn't defend himself properly with broken bones. So he shifted. Not as many humans were cruel enough to attack a defenceless puppy. But that was when the boy came. Red was using his coat as a blanket, but the boy wouldn't recognise him as a dog. No. But this was when Red's life changed forever. When he became Allen.

Mana, as Red had learned was his name, came into the alley with an umbrella and a smile. The smile quickly dropped when he saw no sign of human-Red. He looked around in confusion, coming to a stop in front of Red in his animal form. He dropped to his knees and ran his hand over his coat with a frown, looking around again. He recognised the coat, but not the usual wearer. Which was fair enough, Red thought, since most people didn't just turn into dogs. The boy looked him over and began patting him gently. It felt surprisingly nice, the soft touches on his bruised skin. He wondered if getting pet always felt like this, but the nicety didn't last. Red couldn't help the small whine of pain when the boy brushed his broken leg. The boy gasped, flinching away as if he'd been burned. The worry in the little boys face was enough to make Red want to cry in frustration. Why was this boy so different? Why was he so _good_ without needing anything in return? Red didn't understand… Mana quickly bundled Red up in the coat and gently cradled him in his arms, not caring if he got himself wet or dirty. The boy searched the side-street and surrounding alleyways for human-Red, before his brother finally forced him to go home. With Red still clutched in his arms.

Red thought it was fair to call their home a mansion, the large building far bigger than any house the Skinwalker had ever seen. The house was painted in warm colours of earthy reds and creams, fitting in quite well with its surroundings. It was strange though, how far out of town it was. The building was surrounded by a large field of wheat, a solitary tree the only other obstruction for at least a mile. The boys tore through the field easily though, barely stopping for the unlocked door to open. Neah took off his coat, and both twins waited patiently just inside the door. Red poked his head out of his bundle of coat to see why. It didn't take long. Only a few moments had passed when a beautiful woman came into the entryway with a stack of towels and fresh clothes. She had the same dark curls, with warm brown eyes and a look of fond exasperation on her face as she looked the boys over. Her eyes stopped on Red with a hint of surprise.

"Welcome home my little loves." She said warmly, coming to a stop before the two boys and kneeling in front of them. "What have you got there, Mana?"

"Hi mum!" Mana greeted enthusiastically, puffing up to show her his little bundle of glory. "It's a puppy, I found him in the street where I usually feed the little boy, but he wasn't there and I couldn't find him anywhere, but the puppy was hurt so I had to bring him home cos –" The woman laughed as Mana stumbled over his words in an effort to tell his story, the words coming out in a jumbled rush. Mana pouted lightly, but held Red out gently.

"Can we keep him?" He pleaded, pouting adorably at his mother and giving her his best puppy eyes. The woman giggled again, running her hand through his hair. Red frowned, as much as he could do anyway. He wasn't just some puppy this kid could kidnap! Well… technically he was, but he wasn't! He was a Skinwalker dammit, not some run of the mill dog. He was a person too, no matter what anyone else said. But the woman simply smiled.

"Of course you can, but you have to take good care of him okay?" She answered firmly. Mana beamed as he nodded eagerly. "What are you gonna call him?"

"Allen!" Mana chirped immediately, and the woman laughed lightly.

"Alright, strip off and straight to the bath with you." Red had never had a bath before, not like this. The water was warm, and he shivered as his body was carefully submerged so that just his head was above the surface. The best Red could do on the street was wash with puddles, and that was only if he didn't need to drink it. The warm water soaked his fur, and the warmth seeped into his skin. He sighed in content letting himself relax in the older boys arms against his better judgement. He still didn't know if he could trust these humans, no matter how nice they seemed. He'd seen too much unpleasantness disguised as nicety to trust this. Too many children kidnapped or worse when people gave them pretty words. He shivered, tensing up, then Neah was gently patting him.

The motion was soothing, a gentle motion on top of his head and slowly moving down his back. Once Red was suitably relaxed again, the two started soaping him up. The Skinwalker had never used soap before and made the mistake of opening his eyes, only to close them against the stinging burn. He yelped, struggling to get away from his captors and flinching when pain erupted from his still-broken bones. He heard a shushing noise and water was poured over his eyes, washing away the soap. Red carefully blinked his eyes open. It was still sore, but the stinging had faded. He shook his head, that was nasty. He glared up at them, but let them off with a warning growl. The boys continued washing him gently, massaging the dirt from his fur and skin until he was _clean_. Red didn't even _remember_ the last time he was properly clean. After the boys finished washing up, they hopped out and dried him with a machine that blew hot air. He was fairly sure he heard the woman calling it a "hair drier". Made sense really.

After that was done, he was carried back downstairs and gently placed on the couch. He stretched on the soft cushion, wincing as his injuries protested. Red sighed. It felt like he was lying on a cloud. He heard Mana giggle and cracked an eye open to glare at the older child. His response was to give the Skinwalker even more pets. After dinner (Red got a full plate of chicken all to himself!) and another hour or two of watching the twins read, Mana brought him upstairs and laid him on a large bed. Red huffed as the two got changed, went to the bathroom and settled in on either side of him. They were practically trapping him in! Red _ruffed_ and tried to move, but then they were gently petting him again. The animal scowled, but it still felt really nice so he let them go. Their mother checked in on them once, before closing the door and walking away. Finally, the boys stilled completely, their breathing evening out as they fell into the land of dreams.

Red took a moment to simply breath, and gathered his bearings. He was in a strange house with humans who had been feeding him almost every day for _weeks_. He shouldn't be questioning this, or should he? Red didn't know what to do… So he shifted, letting his form melt back into human and flinching when his healing bones protested the extra weight. He lightly crawled over the body closest to the door, slipped off the bed and snuck over to the exit. The child quietly opened the door and crept out, sneaking downstairs and heading for the door. He stopped abruptly when he heard movement, hurriedly shifting back into his puppy form. The boys' mother came in from another room, a stern look on her face that soon melted into shock when she saw him.

"Allen? What are you doing out here?" She asked quietly, looking around and behind him. She scooped him up gently and took him back upstairs. Red huffed. He was hungry. While the human food was good for helping fill his belly, it did nothing for the gnawing hunger that came with being a Skinwalker. He needed a heart. The woman snuck into the twins room and carefully placed Red on the bed between them. She fussed over the children for a moment, brushing their hair away from their eyes and pulling the blanket up a bit further before once again leaving. Red sat up. He was hungry and he needed a heart. But he couldn't sneak out with their mother downstairs. He couldn't wait for her to sleep either. Red shrugged, he didn't care. Humans were cruel, and it was their fault for kidnapping him in the first place. He shifted back into his human form and knelt over the boy, watching him as he slept. He reached down, hand brushing the child's throat. Mana shifted in his sleep, murmuring quietly. Red paused, staring down at him.

"Allen…" Mana sighed, smiling happily. Red stared, and his face softened just slightly. He brushed back the stray lock of hair that had fallen back into the older child's face, and got off the bed. He went for the window this time, sliding it open quietly, climbing out and using the drainpipe as a makeshift ladder. It hurt, and he cursed Mana for making him soft, but he continued anyway. Once he made it down, he shifted back into a dog and listened carefully, sniffing the air. There! He crept through the field and pounced. The rabbit shrieked in fear, but Red swiftly snapped its neck. He ate quickly, stripping the rabbit down to its bones, and headed back. He shifted into his human form, climbed the drainpipe once more and stuck his head through the window. He paused for a moment to check his surroundings and listen. The twins were still asleep and their mother was still downstairs. Good. He climbed back inside and snuck into the bathroom, washing his face before shifting back into his other form and settling in the corner of the room.

He woke again when he heard the rustling of sheets. He opened an eye to see Mana sitting up with a groggy expression. It was still dark, the sun probably wasn't going to come up for at least another few hours. Why was the boy awake? Mana peered around the room sleepily until he spotted Red in the corner, then practically fell out of bed and stumbled towards the animal. He scooped the Skinwalker up and carried him back to their bed, dumping him (gently) on the bed between the two. Red huffed and settled, knowing the boy wasn't going to let him go again. Mana gave a pleased hum and curled around him. Red closed his eyes, for once comfortable and warm. It was in that sleepy state of mine that _Allen_ made a decision. As long as the humans weren't cruel and he was welcome, he would stay.

Over the years, Allen's fur gradually lightened into a snowy white, which Mana seemed to adore. He fawned over the dog and was consistently running his fingers through his soft coat. The Skinwalker hadn't cared either way, but if it pleased his human then he decided it was a good thing. He lived with his humans peacefully, growing much larger and expanding his hunting grounds into the nearby forest. There was a stream nearby, which was good for cleaning up afterwards. Katerina tended to check on the boys if he used the tap too much. He played with the twins every day, running through the fields and going on walks through a forest trail they discovered. He was always well fed, and the twins showered him with affection (well, Mana did anyway, Neah mellowed out fairly quickly and took to simply petting him absentmindedly). Overall… The Skinwalker was happy. Something he had never thought possible. It was only natural that things had to go wrong…

* * *

Katerina died when the boys were twenty and Allen was fifteen. They had come home like any other day, only to find horror waiting for them inside. Allen smelt it before they had even opened the door. Blood. He growled low in his throat, ears pressed flat against his skull, warning his humans that something was wrong. They both paused, looked at each other and rushed inside as quickly and carefully as possible. They barely made it past the door when they both froze, paling dramatically as their faces fell in horror. Mana's scream tore through the silence and Allen pushed past them, hackles raised in defence. He forced himself to focus on the man standing above his mother-figure, instead of at her bloody body on the floor. He snarled, but the man merely grinned widely.

"Welcome home~" He sung, sweeping his arms wide as he looked at the boys. "I was waiting for you~" It was then that Allen noticed his teeth, far too sharp for a human.

" _Vampire_." He snarled. The man blinked, his attention finally coming to focus on Allen. He looked slightly bemused, but otherwise unconcerned. His eyes trailed lazily back up to the boys.

"Don't worry about your lovely mother~" He crooned, a mad grin slipping onto his face and his voice turned to a snarl. "You'll be joining her soon enough!"

Allen didn't wait for further invitation, he lunged forward, aiming high to knock the creature down. He didn't know much about vampires, only that you couldn't kill them by conventional means. He figured tearing its head off would be a good start. He hit hard and the man stumbled from shock, but he recovered quickly. Snarling, he raked sharp nails through Allen's skin, leaving long gashes behind. Allen yelped in pain, but ignored it and went for the vampire's throat. The vampire jerked back, gripping the dog tightly to stop his attack. He didn't waste any time in throwing Allen across the room. Allen hit the wall with a sickening _crunch_.

"Allen!" He heard Mana scream, and forced himself to stand through the haze of pain. He snarled, in both hurt and warning. He wasn't going to let this stop him. The man sneered, and focused yet again on the twins. Neah immediately stepped in front of his brother. Mana was a mess, switching between fury and grief and fear. There was too much to lose. Allen focused his healing on the most important parts, things he _needed_ , and moved. The vampire spun around in annoyance as he heard Allen's snarling approach, but wasn't prepared for the speed he was moving. Evidently he didn't understand how easy it was to ignore pain when you're family was in danger. Allen lunged forwards, knocking the man down and latching onto his throat. He tore at the flesh, hearing a gurgled scream before the vampire managed to tear him away again. He barely managed to get him a foot away before Allen was on top of him again, tearing at his already mangled throat.

He felt nails tearing at his skin but didn't stop, _couldn't_ stop, not when his precious family was in danger. He heard Mana screaming and begging him to get away, but he ignored him. The vampire was still alive and _dangerous_. He took hold and shook _hard_ , crunching down and tearing at the muscle and bone holding the vampire's head on. The creature's attacks were lessoning, but had yet to stop so neither did Allen. He didn't stop until the vampire's head separated from its body with a sickening _pop._ Allen panted harshly, shuddering in disgust, pain and sudden cold. He limped away, his body aching furiously, and hobbled over to Katerina. He lay down next to her, nosing her cheek and whining as he stared at her lifeless eyes. Tears wet his already matted fur, even as his humans collapsed next to him crying and calling for their mother and him. Allen closed his eyes, willing his body to heal quickly. He couldn't protect his family like this…

When he woke up, he was in a cage, bandaged and muzzled. He crawled to the gate and tried to look around. It didn't look like the pound, far too clean and white. Mana and Neah were sitting in chairs not too far away, gripping each other's hands tightly. They looked miserable, and angry, which was a strange combination. Their eyes were red-rimmed, their lips drawn in tight lines. Allen let out a whine and their heads snapped up. They were outside his cage in an instant.

"Allen…" Mana whimpered, fingering his muzzle through the cage. His face was suddenly marred by rage and he yanked at the padlock keeping the cage closed. He yelled in frustration and Neah had to grab him to stop him from punching the lock. Allen whined again, hoping to comfort his hurting human as best he could. Mana calmed almost instantly, his face falling into grief once more. He laced his fingers through the bars and leant his forehead against them, tears pricking his eyes as Neah rubbed his back comfortingly.

After a long stretch of silence Mana started talking, mumbling and ranting about nothing and everything. Katerina was dead, and the police were running tests to figure out who did it. Apparently, they weren't convinced that the "psychotic dog that tore a man's head off" was usually friendly. They were keen to keep him for observation and were running a million and one tests on the blood samples that had been taken when Allen was unconscious, even though the boys had already explained what happened. Allen was fully healed in a few days, but wasn't let out for another week until an intern girl let him out for exercise, without realising he was supposedly "dangerous". They managed to keep up that routine until she got caught and scolded, and Allen got locked up again. Mana and Neah visited every day, and Mana always talked the whole time. Allen was sure it was a coping mechanism. His precious human was so stressed and he couldn't _do anything_. It was another week after that that he was finally released.

"The blood on the dog matches the second "victim"," The short girl used quotation marks and a snide voice as she said the word, clearly not believing it. The blond man frowned, but she continued before he could comment. "Not to mention, there were no bite marks on her, only lacerations that matched the bloody knife we picked up. Furthermore, our second "victim" was also covered in the first victim's blood, so I think we can safely say he _was_ the perp and the dog really did save the kids." She concluded, giving the man a nasty look. He deflated slightly, but nodded nonetheless.

"Alright, Fou, if you're sure. I'm still not comfortable giving the dog back to the family though…" Mana bristled, but Fou rolled her eyes.

"He's been an absolute sweetheart the whole time he's been here. Let's Lou Fa fawn over him and play with his fur and all kinds of grief. The only reason that dog attacked the guy was to defend his boys, he ain't gonna hurt anybody unless they ask for it." She said, giving him a pointed look. He wrinkled his nose but nodded.

"He'll still have to be taken to Animal Care and Control for testing, but if that's the case he should pass and be returned."

Allen _did_ pass. With flying colours too. The people testing him could hardly believe he had been "vicious enough to kill". Then again, they didn't think a dog could act. Allen didn't need to, for the most part, but it was a strange environment with people he didn't know nor trust. It was hard to be nice when you're wary… Allen snorted at the mere thought of them trying to euthanize him. They would need silver for that. But that didn't matter. He needed to get back to his humans, and that was what he was going to do. So he passed all the tests, and the twins took him home. It was then that Allen met Cross. The man was a private investigator who was working with the police on their case. The man who killed their mother was tied to several other vicious murders (which helped their case immensely). He had contacted them for "assistance" and apparently got along quite well with Neah, according to Mana anyway. Allen knew that Mana didn't agree with Neah hanging out with Cross. It was the start of his random departures after all. Any time he left for an extended period, it was always because of Cross…

 _Click._ Neah's soft melody played through the room. Allen whined as he woke up, old memories still playing through his hazy mind. He felt Mana's hand flop onto his head, running through his fur comfortingly. Allen had half a mind to let him sleep in, just for the comforting warmth and pets. However, while Mana didn't have to work that day, Allen was not in the habit of letting his human sleep in. Take naps, yes. Sleep in, no. He didn't really know why, though Neah had once theorised that it had to do with his days on the streets. Allen pushed himself into a seated position, ignoring Mana's whine of protest, and set to getting the man up. As usual, it took an unreasonable amount of time, and Allen almost had to resort to pushing him off the bed again. However, Mana realised what he was doing and sprung up.

"I'm up, I'm up." He whined loudly, voice tinged with panic. He did _not_ want to be unceremoniously shoved onto the floor again, thank you very much. They trailed downstairs slowly, Mana choosing to make bacon and eggs for breakfast this time. The Skinwalker trotted into the living room, jumping up onto the couch and waiting eagerly for his human to finish cooking, tail wagging uncontrollably. Allen perked up when he heard footsteps, and let out a happy _woof_ when he heard the click of the lock. He hopped off the couch as Mana came bolting in from the kitchen to greet Neah. The man looked far from happy as he entered the house though, ignoring his brother and staring at Allen. His face was cold and distant, eyes slightly glazed, and he was holding a gun. Allen froze at the hostility he could feel aimed at him. Neah had never looked at him like that. He thought quickly. A Shifter? No, Allen could smell the difference. Possession? Again no, he would be able to smell it. He slunk forward, but stopped when Neah tensed.

"Neah?" Mana's voice was uncertain as he tugged on his brother's sleeve, eyes flicking between them. After getting no reaction, he trailed back towards Allen. Without warning, Neah snatched his wrist and yanked him back.

"Stay away from him." He snapped. Mana flinched, both from the harshness of his brother's voice and the strength of his grip. Allen couldn't help the low growl of anxiety. Neah had never hurt Mana before! Surely this wasn't the same man that had left them? Neah narrowed his eyes and flicked the safety of the gun off. Allen froze. Was that…? Yes, he could smell silver. He swallowed harshly, eyes flicking back up to Neah as his ears flattened against his skull. It wasn't possible... Neah couldn't know what Allen was! But… That cold disposition, the distrust and hostility, the way he kept Mana away… Speaking of, Mana was struggling in Neah's grip. He looked angry. Finally, he managed to tear his arm away and jump back.

"Mana –"

"No!" Mana interrupted with a shout, backing straight towards Allen. "What the hell is going on with you?" He yelled, eyeing the gun in his brother's hand. He took a step to the left, putting himself between Allen and Neah. Neah didn't like that at all.

"Get _away_ from him Mana." He warned, taking a step forward, but Mana took a step back, careful not to hit Allen.

"No," he said firmly. "Not until you tell me what's going on."

"He's dangerous, Mana. He's not what you think he is!" He raised his voice when he saw Mana about to argue, taking another step forward.

"He's a dog, Neah. Has Cross driven you that crazy that you can't even recognise your own pet?" Mana snapped.

"He's not a dog!" Neah yelled, voice loud and verging on manic. Mana froze, fear flicking in his eyes as Allen's blood ran cold. Neah knew. He knew and he hated him. This was like one of his worst nightmares coming true. Neah took deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.

"He's a Skinwalker." He continued coldly, glaring at Allen distrustfully.

"What?" Mana blurted, confused disbelief lacing his tone. Neah scowled.

"A Skinwalker. A _monster_ Mana." Allen flinched. He had hoped he would never hear his beloved family calling him that. Mana screwed up his face.

"Cross really did drive you crazy…"

"I'm not crazy!" Neah snapped, pulling something out of his pocket and stalking forwards. "He's a monster and I can prove it." Allen whined but didn't move. Mana straightened, pulling himself as high as he could. Neah stood right in front of him, tense and agitated.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Mana, but I can't let that monster live." He said softly. Allen flinched again, and Mana grit his teeth.

"He's _not_ –" He started, confusion lacing his tone as Neah got down and grabbed Allen by the scruff. "What are you doing?" Allen let him, tears in his eyes as Mana tried in vain to loosen his grip.

"Stop it, you're hurting him!" He demanded, but his brother wouldn't listen. Instead, he tightened his grip and showed them both what he was holding. A small, blocky piece of silver. Allen closed his eyes and soon felt it burn against the back of his paw. He couldn't help but whimper in pain, and heard Mana gasp.

"Stop it!" He shrieked, shoving Neah away. "What the hell did you do?"

"It's silver." Neah snapped, holding it out again. "It's poison to Skinwalkers." _It's poison to a lot of things_ , Allen thought bitterly. The teen opened his eyes. Neah's face was stony calm and Mana was confused and distressed. The man stared down at Allen coldly.

"I know what you are, you can't hide it anymore. Let's get this over with." He said thinly, cocking the gun in his hand. Allen had half a mind not to, misery clouding his better judgement. But if this was what Mana and Neah wanted… he wouldn't deny them. He should never have stayed in the first place. He whined in apology, nudging Mana's cheek and backing up. Mana looked confused and hurt, but let him go. And he shifted. It was simple and easy, like breathing. His dog form melted and elongated, bones and muscles shifting back into human form. He didn't look up, choosing a spot on the floor and staring at it as his eyes burned.

"What…?" Was the strangled sound that came from next to him. His Mana, his Neah, his best friends and his precious family. He was losing it all. Allen couldn't stop the tears from spilling. He had known it was stupid to try, stupid to trust, stupid to _love_. But he couldn't help it, and now his world was crumbling around him. At least he wouldn't have to live with the knowledge that they hated him.

"I told you. He's a Skinwalker. He can change from human to animal, and needs to feast on hearts to survive. A monster." Neah said calmly. Allen almost sobbed. _Monster, monster, monster_. The word ran through his head over and over.

"Monster…?" Allen flinched, his body trembled and tears streamed down his face. "What are talking about, Neah…? _Look_ at him." Allen blinked, confused, and raised his head to see Mana crying and glaring at Neah.

"What?" Neah blurted, confused. His eyes gained a bit of light back, not as cloudy and distant as before.

"Look at him!" Mana screamed, gesturing to Allen. The teen jolted, unsure of what Mana was doing. "He's _crying_ Neah. Look at what you _did to him_." Allen curled slightly when Neah flicked disbelieving eyes between him and Mana, confusion and guilt flooding his features.

"Allen is part of this family Neah." Mana said, his voice soft and shaking with emotion. Hurt, anger, confusion, sadness, _love_. "He's been with us since we were _kids_ , and he grew up right beside us. We took him in, we named him and gave him a _home_. He protected us when we were in danger, _saved us_ from the monster that killed mum, and comforted us when we were upset. _Look at him_. He's not a monster… He's our Allen." The sheer resolution in his voice floored Allen. How could he look at Allen, watch him shift and then call him _family?_ How could he not think Allen was a monster? Tears trickled down his face as he stared at the man in front of him. His Mana. _His_ Mana. Yes, Mana was family, and so was Neah. Always. Neah was looking away, uncertain and ashamed.

"He's a Skinwalker..." He muttered guiltily. His eyes were much clearer now, emotion strong and raw, and Allen had the sudden feeling he had been repressing some part of himself, _detached_ himself so that he wouldn't feel. And Mana was breaking his walls.

"And you're stupid, but I still call you my brother." Mana returned snippily. Neah choked, Allen snorted and Mana grinned triumphantly. The man flushed and shot his brother a dirty look, but Mana simply gave him an innocent smile. Neah's face fell once more, uncertainty reigning. He bit his lip and looked at Allen, flinching when he saw the burn on his hand. He slowly dropped to his knees, unsure what to do.

Mana brushed Allen's hair behind his ear and kissed him on the cheek. Allen beamed. Neah's face softened, a small smile creeping up the corners of his mouth, before flickering into a frown. He reached out, hesitated, and put his hand on Allen's head. He rubbed gently and Allen closed his eyes, sighing in content, Neah had always been good at petting. He had half a mind to shift back to his dog form, but he didn't want the man to freak out again… Mana cuddled him close and rested his chin on Allen's shoulder, Allen leaning against him happily. Neah sighed heavily, breathing deeply. Allen spotted tears in the corners of his eyes and slowly, gently brushed them away. Neah balked at first, but steadily relaxed.

"Idiot…" Mana huffed, Neah flushed again. "So, what have you been doing this whole time that you come back and call our baby a monster?" Neah opened his mouth, closed it, tried again and then stopped, frowning. He worked his jaw, trying to think of a way to explain. Finally, he sighed and begun to speak.

"Cross is a Hunter. Or, that's what they call themselves anyway… They hunt things, monsters that attack and kill people. I've been helping him. We just recently took care of a Skinwalker that was blending in with the strays at a local shelter. It wasn't hard to connect the dots with the relevant information…" He muttered. Mana frowned.

"And you just thought 'oh, our dog's a Skinwalker, that must automatically make him a murderous lunatic who's going to kill us in our sleep, even though we've been living with him for almost 12 years'." He said dryly, giving his brother a look. Neah twitched, a flush beginning to make its way across his cheeks.

"I… may have overreacted…" He allowed, working his jaw again. Mana rolled his eyes.

"You're such a drama queen." He muttered. Neah choked and Allen couldn't help but laugh. Neah huffed and gave him a pointed look.

"Why didn't _you_ ever say anything?" He asked snippily. Allen rolled his eyes.

"Oh, yes, that would've been a pleasant conversation." He drawled, ignoring the way Neah jolted in surprise. "'Hey, you remember me? I'm that random kid you used to feed back when you were young. By the way, I'm your dog.' You would've thrown me in an asylum, or freaked out just the same if I'd have proved it." Neah made an indignant noise, but didn't push further. Allen blinked, sniffing the air.

"Mana, the eggs are burning…"

"What?!" The man screeched, bolting into the kitchen to save their breakfast. He had turned the stove right down hoping that they'd be okay. Allen bit his lip. He wanted to get up, but he was currently naked and didn't know how Neah would feel about that. He also wanted to say something, reassure the man that he would _never_ hurt them. His precious family… Neah solved the problem quickly though, taking his coat off and wrapping it around him with a sheepish smile. Allen muttered a quiet 'thanks' and slipped his arms into the sleeves, closing the garment around himself. He stood up with Neah and they made their way into the kitchen behind Mana, who was humming happily as he cooked. He saw them come in and pointed his spatula at his twin with an angry pout.

"Neah doesn't get breakfast until he apologises properly." He said petulantly, puffing his cheeks in defiance. Neah slumped, turning guilty eyes on Allen.

"I'm sorry, Allen. I shouldn't have attacked you…" He said miserably, hardly able to look the teen in the eye. Allen smiled softly.

"You thought you were protecting Mana." He said soothingly, voice turning self-deprecating a moment later. "Besides, I don't blame you for thinking I'm a monster."

"You're not a monster…" Mana immediately mumbled unhappily, a frown marring his features. Neah was frowning also, but he didn't comment. Allen smiled sadly, and made a happy noise in the back of his throat when Mana came up and pressed a kiss to his forehead, just like he always did.

"You're our Allen, and you always will be." He said firmly, squeezing Allen's hand. Neah smiled next to them, shaking his head ruefully.

"Don't know how I ever doubted it." He murmured, mirroring his twins move and giving Allen's other hand a squeeze. Allen smiled brilliantly. He had his family back again, and this time, they would be together forever.

 **~ END ~**

* * *

 **AN:** If you want a visual of what Allen looks like in dog form, look up a White Alaskan Malamute or a Samoyed. They're pretty and fluffy and amazing. And yes, in case anybody's wondering, dogs _can_ eat both oatmeal and honey, but not on a regular basis. Apples are also fine as long as they're cored, no nasty seeds. This fic totally ran away from me, it was _not_ supposed to be this long… Also, I'm honestly not too sure what would've happened to Allen in real life pertaining the whole dead vampire situation. I tried looking some stuff up and just made a decision on what I thought sounded logical. Allen was defending his owners (and himself), and was deemed safe by the proper figures, therefore he was allowed back with his owners. It helped that there was no one to call for any negative action. Anyway… Sorry for the long AN, hope you enjoyed and are looking forward to more!

 **Omake:** _Unusual_ _Shopping?_

Mana stared at the meat behind the glass, biting his lip as he considered his options. Allen was a good hunter, and he enjoyed running around. But did he really enjoy ripping hearts out of animals? Mana shook his head, then nodded firmly. He ordered a random assortment of hearts (the butcher didn't even blink) along with everything else he needed and finally went home. Allen was sprawled across the couch, in his human form, snoozing contently. Mana smiled. Allen had been shifting a lot more freely lately, generally only using his animal form if he wanted cuddles, or when they slept at night. Apparently, it was more comfortable (and also very much a habit). Neah came out of his study and huffed.

"And you call Mana lazy." He snorted, wandering over to help his brother with the groceries. They got through a good lot before Neah made a noise.

"What is this?" He said, shock and distaste lacing his tone. Mana rolled his eyes.

"It's a heart, Neah. I didn't think your biology was that rusty…" He said teasingly, Neah made an insulted noise and gave him a playful whack. Mana giggled. Allen was by their side before they even realised he was moving.

"Heart?" He parroted perkily. Mana grinned.

"Yup, I thought you could have these instead of going hunting all the time. Apparently, it's not actually that strange to feed cats and dogs animal hearts." He explained happily, Allen beamed.

"Thanks!"


	2. Dark Promise - Poker Pair

_**Summary:**_ Allen is sacrificed to a Pagan God, and is saved from the brink of death. However, the God wants his claim. AU, Poker Pair

 _ **Genre:**_ Romance, little bit of humor - ~ - _**Rating:**_ T - ~ - _**Characters:**_ Allen, Tyki, Cross, mentions of Lavi and Kanda

 **WARNINGS** : ritualistic sacrifice (probably unrealistic), possible OOC, stabby stabby, technically stalking, doesn't really follow any kind of lore, though is technically set in the Supernatural universe

* * *

It was a bad end to a bad day. Allen was stuck walking home in the middle of the night after he botched, well, _everything_. He'd lost his part-time job after getting into a fight with a customer (the guy deserved it really, but maybe punching him was a bit too far), he'd been denied getting into the university of his choice on the technicality that he was currently under the guardianship of one Cross Marian (the man had enough unpaid debts and they didn't trust him with another one), and to put the cherry on top, he had been sent on a wild goose chase of an errand (and had thus been left stranded to walk home in the middle of the night). Yeah, he was having a _really_ bad day.

Of course that meant it _had_ to get worse. He was stressed, upset, freaking cold, mildly humiliated and _of course_ , _**of course**_ , it _had_ to get _worse_. He was walking past an abandoned building of some kind when it happened. He barely looked at the dilapidated _mess_ as he walked past, and that was his mistake. Someone grabbed him from behind. And after the day he had, one Allen Walker was _so_ not in the mood for this particular brand of bullshit. The teen immediately lashed out, elbowing his assailant and flipping them over his shoulder, where he could see them. He huffed in surprise and frustration when all he could see was an overlarge robe with the hood up. The garb looked ceremonial and Allen suddenly had a _really_ bad feeling about this. He took in a sharp breath when more people flooded out of the building, all wearing the same robes, and surrounded him easily. He dropped into a defensive position, idly wondering if Cross would answer if he called. He could always call the cops, but his godfather was never really appreciative of that kind of company.

The teen settled for biting his lip and taking down the first person to come at him. They went down with a grunt, followed by the rest of them coming at once. Turns out it was mostly a feint, moving in at once to confuse him, when the only one with any really ambition was behind him. Again. An arm was wrapped around his throat before he could stop it, two more moving in from the side and front. Allen kicked out, but he aimed for the wrong person. The next moment he felt the cold sting of a needle and his vision blurred. He fought the sensation, the already overwhelming weight of tiredness, but he knew it was too late. Only moments later his world went dark.

When he next awoke, he was chained to a table and wearing… _not a whole damn lot_. He breathed out a huff of annoyance at the imitation of… _whatever_ he was wearing. The cloth started at his waist, continuing as a long strip of cloth down his front. From what he could see and feel, there was also a much larger strip covering his backside. He examined the shackles, strange markings carved into the iron. Allen realised with gut-wrenching dread that the table he was on was actually a stone altar, the people around him holding candles and chanting in… was that _Latin_? Allen felt a chill down his spine when one of them stepped forward, the only one without a candle. His hands where hidden in the folds of his robes, his voice the loudest that Allen could hear, droning and gravelly. The teen didn't bother asking questions, he had a fair idea of what was going on and these types weren't generally very reasonable. So he skipped the talking and went straight for trying to get out of the damned shackles. Which proved to be ineffective when the damned things _tightened_ , biting into his wrists painfully.

Allen saw the shadow of a smirk from under the hood, followed by the loudest round of chanting yet. A knife glinted in the candlelight as it was pulled out of the man's sleeve and raised above his head. Allen wrenched his arms, hands balled into fists as his breathing became harsh. The chanting hit a peak, and the knife came down. Allen was unable to stop the outcry as it plunged into his chest. Not fatal, _yet_ , but damn painful. The knife had missed anything important, but he could still bleed to death if nothing was done to stop it. Which was highly unlikely in this situation… Allen grit his teeth, baring them at the robed figure in front of him. The only form of defiance he could take. He yanked his arm again, only to achieve the same biting effect as before.

The knife was removed and the chanting droned on. The teen could feel himself losing his grip on reality, his body slowly getting colder. His eyelids grew heavy and he slipped. When he opened them again he was still shackled to an altar, but his surroundings had changed. Instead of a dark room lit only by candles, he was in a spacious area built like a temple. It was bright, sunlight shining through the white building and illuminating it easily. There was a single man lounging in a chair. Or he had been until he saw Allen. The grin that appeared on his face was nothing but predatory as he eagerly stood. He seemed to be clothed in a similar garb to Allen, except better quality and expertly made. His skin was a dark grey, his hooded eyes a golden yellow. He took slow calculated steps, a slight sway to his hips that Allen would almost call seductive.

The man perched on the altar next to Allen, smiling down at him in what seemed like pure joy. If not a little a predatory. Allen's heart raced as the man traced his fingers down the teen's chest, stopping just above the only cloth covering him. The man leaned down, murmuring in his ear. Whispered words in a language he didn't know, but the tone was dark and full of promise. Allen shivered as a kiss was pressed to his jaw, the man's hand splayed on his hip as if to hold him there. It almost felt like it was burning him, and he could feel a smirk against his skin. He gasped as the man suddenly moved, straddling him in favour of simply perching next to him. The man's hand travelled back up his chest, past his throat, caressing his cheek and stopping, curled in his hair.

The kiss that followed was deep and possessive, all tongue and little room to breathe. The man mapped out every inch of the teen's mouth, and Allen was gasping for breath by the time the man pulled away, eyes half-lidded and heated. The teen shivered violently, whether from cold or excitement he wasn't sure. Allen was just about to speak, ask who the man was, when the shackle on his left arm shattered like glass. He cried out in shock as his arm was set free, pulling it close like it would disappear if he didn't. The man was looking around, radiating anger and confusion. Allen realised with a start that the chanting had stopped. He felt a dull throb of pain where the knife had gone in, eyes fluttering with a sudden heaviness. The teen gasped as he was dragged back into reality, two strange men by his side instead of the chanting group of cultists. He sucked in a choked breath when the pressure on his wound was increased, the long-haired one was keeping him alive while the red-head spoke rapid-fire into a phone to get help.

Allen tried to speak, but his tongue suddenly felt like lead and stuck to the roof of his mouth. He swallowed thickly, and willed away the niggling sensation at the back of his mind, calling him into the reaches of darkness. He forced his eyelids back open every time they tried to close, desperately focusing on the world around him. He could still feel the fire in his chest, and the acrid smell of burning candles still invaded his nose. Good, he could use that to focus. Or so he thought. Not even a moment later and he was _yanked_ back into the temple. The dark man was hovering over him, anger burning in his eyes.

" _Mine_." Allen felt the word as much as he heard it, a dark, velvety hiss that resonated through his core. A _claim_. The teen shivered violently, his body arching closer without permission. The man purred his approval, leaning in for another kiss. Allen was woken by a stinging in his cheek to furious cobalt eyes. The man's hand returned to Allen's wound as the red-head snapped for his attention. He introduced them as Hunters. Fairly self-explanatory, except what they hunted were monsters, not animals. All the big-bad creatures that lurked in the dark were their targets. They had heard the chanting and been intrig- Ah… _Worried_ , they had been _worried_ and had come to check it out. Good thing they had to. Allen wanted to roll his eyes, because he already knew what Hunters were, his Godfather used to be one after all. The teen settled for breathing a sigh of relief when he heard sirens that could only be an ambulance. Cross would be pissed as high hell, but Allen was feeling sluggish and weak. He couldn't do without a hospital trip.

The other three shackles were broken by the long-haired man, and the sword he used created a grinding hiss as it came into contact with the cursed iron. Allen felt a weight lift off his mind as the last one shattered. He slipped into unconsciousness around the same time as the ambulance arrived. Cross _was_ pissed, but more about the fact that Allen had been abducted than the fact that he had to go to hospital (Cross hated them because they were _public_ , and people could _find him_ ). The Hunters didn't really stick around, though they had asked a few questions when Allen had woken up (mostly what he had seen, and this _had_ seemed to worry them). After that he was quickly discharged under Cross' angry orders (the nurses were seriously pissed, but forgave him because _Cross_ ) and the man immediately took him straight home.

Cross was actually _responsible_ for once (though he usually was when Allen got too seriously sick or injured, the man had nursed him for _months_ after a nasty car accident), taking care of Allen and setting Tim to guard him if he had to leave. The animal was perfectly happy to curl up next to Allen and growl when he so much as heard a groan of wind. Timcanpy was protective at the best of times, but when he was _told_ to protect… Allen felt sorry for anybody who got on the animal's bad side. Life almost returned to normal after that. He went back to looking at prospective Universities, managed to get another part-time job, and cheated people out of their money to pay off Cross' many debts. It was _almost_ like normal…

Except, he would dream at night. Silky skin and a voice like velvet. A searing kiss and the same whispered promises. He didn't even know what the man was promising, but he _knew_ they were for him. Allen would wake in a cold sweat with a confusing hardness between his legs. Nothing a cold shower couldn't fix. He didn't understand his reaction to the dreams, the painful longing in his chest whenever he saw the man. He didn't understand a lot these days. The way he couldn't look into a mirror without seeing a shadow behind him, the way that redheaded Hunter named Lavi would check up on him every few days (he didn't actively seek Allen out, but the teen saw him enough to know what he was doing), even the way that Cross hung around sometimes, staring at him with this lingering pain in his eyes like Allen was already gone…

It was terrifying, really, and sometimes it made him want to crawl into a hole and disappear. But he could handle it… Until one day he saw him. Not in his dreams, not a shadow in his mirror, but in the middle of the street, eyes roaming the crowd like they were searching. Like they were searching for _him_. The man was wearing plain clothes, a dark coat, jeans and a snug, long-sleeved shirt. But his eyes were the same golden yellow, slightly narrowed with an edge of danger the teen simply couldn't ignore. Allen pushed down the building panic, forced back that twitch that _begged_ him to just give in, and ducked into a side alley. He took a deep steadying breath and forced his shaking legs to walk through the alley and into the next street. Stumbling steps took him home, fumbling fingers locked the door behind him. Long purposeful strides brought him into the kitchen, where he turned the cold water on high and buried his head under the faucet of streaming water.

Still… Allen couldn't help but feel like he knew the man. The dark creature calling out to him in his dreams. Like snippets of information were being pressed into the corners of his mind, not quite prominent, but definitely _there_. If he had the desire to go looking for it. He knew the man's name, the one that humans generally used and another, more forbidden one. He knew the man was fascinated by humans, and thoroughly enjoyed when they prayed to him, or offered him sacrifices. _Especially_ when they offered him sacrifices (even just little things like food or wine). He knew the man had an avid interest in gambling, and was generally pretty good at it (not as good as Allen, of course). And the teen knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that the man wanted him. For what reason, Allen still wasn't entirely sure, but the knowledge of the man's claim weighed on him heavily. Part of Allen wanted nothing of it, wanted him to just get on with his life, maybe even run away if it came down to it. But another, just as prominent part wanted nothing more than to give in and accept the man.

Allen was constantly weighing the pros and cons. He had always been interested in a relationship, and if the knowledge in his mind was right, then so was _he_. On the other hand, if he went with the man, he might have to leave his life behind. As much as Cross was a pain in the ass, Allen still loved him and the small number of friends he had made. Also, as far as Allen could tell he would get along fantastically with the man, not to mention he was a great kisser… But, could the teen really trust the knowledge in his mind, let alone the man himself? The man wanted Allen, but was that because of the teen, or simply because he was sacrificed to him? Did he know as much about Allen as the teen knew about him, or was he simply claiming him like an object? The very thought made him angry, but the possibility that the man wanted him simply because he was _Allen_ was pretty damn alluring… The teen sighed. There was a war going on in his mind, and neither side seemed to be taking any ground. He almost wanted to confront the man and demand answers, but the fear of what could happen stopped him from seeking the man out.

So he went about his days, still weighing what he wanted. Until he got caught. If was his own fault really. He let himself get distracted. The shadow had actively been seeking his attention for once, flashing in the corner of his eyes in every reflective surface he could see. Allen scowled, grumbling under his breath about how annoying the damn thing was being. He glared at the shop window as he passed, turning away and thus putting her in his blind spot. The woman grabbed him harshly and practically threw him into the alleyway, pinning him against the wall with his arm twisted behind his back before he could even react. Allen cursed. How could he have let that happen?!

"Your Master will be very pleased if I show him were you are." The woman crooned, her voice rough and excited, no doubt expecting some great reward for her actions. He tried to pull away, but she twisted his arm further. He bit back a cry and scrabbled at the wall for some purchase. She gripped his hip harshly, a burning sensation immediately assaulting his skin. Allen bit his lip, desperately searching for a means of escape and wilfully ignoring the part of his mind that told him to still. He spotted a bit of piping on the wall and reached for it. He managed to wrench it out of place before the woman could stop him. He twisted and lashed out in the same move, managing to clock her on the head. It twisted his arm even further, almost dislocating it, but he was free.

He dropped the pipe and immediately went for the entrance, only to freeze in place. Tyki stood in the mouth of the alley, eyes boring into Allen's. The teen's breath hitched, shivering lightly at the heavy lidded gaze. The man slowly prowled forward, helping the woman up and whispering in her ear. She nodded quickly and left in the same manner, leaving Allen alone with the man before him. Allen backed up swiftly, eyes locked with the man who had been stalking his dreams. His back hit the wall before he realised he was even close and the teen tensed. Tyki quickly and efficiently closed the distance between them, crowding the teen against the wall and caging him in with his arms. Allen's hands automatically flew up, whether to protect himself or simply to touch the one before him, he wasn't sure. He looked up at the man through his lashes.

"Tyki…" He breathed. It was barely a whisper, but for the way the man's eyes lit up when Allen said it, you would think the teen was shouting it from the rooftops. Allen took a deep breath, and finally asked the question that had been burning a hole in his mind. Even though a part of him would argue that he already knew the answer.

"What are you?" A slow blink.

"Does it matter?" The man questioned back with an almost bored tone, but there was a heaviness behind his words that Allen couldn't place.

" _Yes_." He insisted sharply. The man gave him a long, steady look. There was curiosity there, intrigue, caution, a bit of confusion, but most of all, _desire_. An almost overwhelming sense of possessive desire.

"I'm a god. Pagan, but still very real. And _very_ powerful." He spoke slowly, making sure his words were understood, and that Allen wasn't about to run away. The teen took a deep, steadying breath.

"That's not a good thing." He whispered breathlessly.

"It could be," The man pressed. "I could give you anything that little heart of yours desires." He spoke lowly, with a seductive glint to his voice, and leaned in close like he was telling a secret. For all that Allen knew, he could be. He looked up at the man before, the man who seemed to want him more than anything else. The teen bit his lip, and finally gave in. He posed his questions hesitantly, not sure if he was reading the man right. He could figure the rest out later.

"Love?" His whispered word was greeted with a grin of feverish intensity.

"Yes."

"Family?" A delighted purr.

"Yes." The teen bit his lip. One more question, but also the one with the heaviest consequences. Should he really be doing this…? And if he did, could he really leave his life behind? Allen still wasn't certain, but he was sick of being so indecisive. From everything he knew, he wanted this.

"You?" Allen breathed. He looked up at the man through his lashes, hope lacing his tone. His question was accompanied by a dark chuckle and a flash of pure gold.

"Ambitious, aren't we?" The man teased lightly, gently butting heads with the teen. Allen huffed, narrowing his eyes ever so slightly.

"Answer the question, _Joyd_." Tyki's eyes narrowed with a sharp glint, and Allen had the sudden feeling he wasn't supposed to know that name. But there was a flair of fervent _desire_ that told the teen he had asked the right question.

" _Yes_." The man hissed, crowding Allen even further against the wall. Excitement bubbled in Allen's chest, and the teen could barely contain a grin. Tyki kissed him full on the lips, a quick, hard press before he moved to nip at Allen's neck and shoulder. The teen laughed lightly at the man's enthusiasm, but there was one more thing that worried him. One more question, one more _fear_. Allen gently pushed the man away, catching his eye, and posed his final question.

"Am I going to die?" His voice was quiet, almost timid. Tyki paused, eyes suddenly unreadable as he really _looked_ at the teen before him. His first sign of hesitation. The God weighed his options, carefully assessing the teen before him. His bit his lip, chewed on it for moment with furrowed brows, and finally seemed to settle.

"Not yet," He answered finally, voice careful and reassuring. "Not until you're ready." Allen breathed a sigh of relief. As much as he wanted to pursue this relationship, wherever it may take him… He wasn't sure if he was ready to die. Not just yet, anyway. He smiled, soft and genuine for the first time since he had been sacrificed.

"Thank you." He murmured softly, pressing a soft kiss against the man's lips. Tyki smiled back, eyes crinkling warmly. Allen decided he very much liked that smile. Not that he minded that possessive one too badly either… Tyki leaned in close and once again whispered in his ear.

" _Forever may be an eternity, but I will gladly spend it with you…_ "

 **~ END ~**

* * *

 **AN:** Do not, for the life of me, know what the item of clothing I was trying to describe is called -_- Also, haven't _quite_ decided what Timcanpy is in this, probably a dog, _maybe_ a shapeshifter… Really hope you enjoyed, and are looking forward to more!

 **Omake:** _Dating Semantics_

"You're what?!" Cross roared, pacing aggressively in front of the teen. Allen was perched on the couch in front of him, one leg crossed over the other with his hands folded neatly in his lap. Tyki was asleep in Allen's room. Apparently, he was using quite a lot of power to cross over to the earthly plane, and was consequently using up a great deal of energy. The thought of Tyki putting in so much effort for him made Allen's chest flutter. He pushed the thought aside quickly though, and focused on the man before him.

"I'm dating a god." He reiterated bluntly, pinning the man with a look. "Honestly, it's not that big of a deal." Cross made a strangled kind of sound that turned into a growl.

"Not that big of a…? Do you have _any_ idea how powerful, how _dangerous_ , that man is?" Cross snapped, his pacing increasing as he glared at Allen's closed door. The teen sighed.

"I have an idea, yes." He replied, forcing back a grimace. Tyki was not a being one should consider trifling with. Cross waved his arms around a bit, teeth bared in a complexity of emotions.

"And you think it's a good idea to _date_ him?!" He bit out in exasperation. Allen gave the man a wry look.

"Says the man who dated a Siren, a vampire _and_ a Kistune. At the same time." Cross worked his jaw and his eye twitched. Allen smirked. Cross hadn't actually known about the Siren, but the other two he had been fully aware of.

"That was different…" He muttered gruffly. "I wasn't about to go diving off a cliff just to date someone." Cross, in fact, _had_ been about to dive off a cliff, but that had more to do with protecting Allen than dating the creatures themselves. But still. The teen sighed.

"I'm not going to die, Cross. Tyki already told me that we were going to take it slow, and that I could live out my life as long as I wanted." He explained patiently, giving the redhead a gentle look. It rarely worked with the man, but sometimes… it was the only way to calm him down. Cross paused, staring down at him heavily. His face pinched slightly, and it almost looked like he was warring with himself over something. His pacing resumed.

"I promised to take care of you." He eventually muttered quietly, and Allen wasn't one hundred percent sure he was supposed to have heard it. His face softened even more.

"And you're not failing." He said softly. "This is a decision I'm making myself, fully aware of the consequences. You can't protect me forever Cross, you have to let me go someday. Not today! But someday…" He quickly tacked on when he saw the rising panic and rage. The man scowled heavily, and practically crashed down on the couch next to Allen. There was a moment of silence before the man finally spoke once more.

"He does _anything_ you don't trust, you come straight to me." He growled lowly, not looking at the teen. Allen practically melted.

"You'll be the first to know."


	3. When Two Meet One - Tyki x Allen x Lavi

_**Summary:**_ Allen attends a high school specifically for the creatures of myth and legend. Demi-gods and oracles, minotaurs and cyclops', anything and everything under the sun. As long as they were friendly of course. Though most didn't regard Allen as friendly, simply because of his terrible curse. But none of that mattered, in the end, because this school is where he meets _them_. Gorgon! Allen, AU, established Lucky, eventual Lavi x Allen x Tyki

 _ **Genre:**_ Romance, Drama –~– _**Rating:**_ T –~– _**Characters:**_ Allen, Tyki, Lavi, Neah, Chaozii, mentions of Mana and La-La

 **WARNINGS:** mentions of attempted self-harm, self-deprecation, boy x boy, bullying, angst?, Chaozii is a piece of shit, swearing

 **Disclaimer:** don't own D. G-M or the characters, but the crappy poem below is mine

 _Turn my heart to stone and rip it out of my chest,_

 _I can't help but loving you, surely you have guessed,_

 _take me at my worst and I'll show you my very best,_

 _love me with a fervent fire and surely we'll be blessed._

* * *

A lone teen moved slowly through a bustling, exterior hallway. Sunshine filtered through the pillars, lighting up the gardens surrounding them. The teen had a light scar running down the side of his face, over his left eye, a reminder of things he'd rather forget. He wore a pair a red-tinted glasses over cursed eyes, the only thing capable of supressing his powers. Allen sighed, dodging yet another student intent on moving too quickly. He was honestly surprised people didn't take more caution to avoid him, considering how generally fearful and disdainful of his presence they were. A chorus of comforting hisses in his ear caused him to smile gently, and make the mistake of relaxing slightly.

"Coming through~" A cheerful voice announced, and the teen heard several angry gasps and mutters. He started to move to one side, but another teen clearly had something else in mind. Allen was unceremoniously shoved into the middle of the walkway, and the next thing he knew a body was slamming into his and he was sent sprawling to the floor. His glasses flew off and clattered noisily to the floor. Allen gasped, paling dramatically, and he slammed his eyes closed. The snakes he called hair tucked in close, waiting for the inevitable reaction.

"Sorry – oh shit!" Was the apology turned panicked gasp, with several other gasps erupting nearby. The teen's stomach dropped, and he waited for the usual tirade.

"Hold on a sec, I'll get your glasses!" Wait, what? That was unusually nice… Ah, they probably thought he was going to turn them to stone. That was honestly the last thing he wanted, not that anyone seemed to understand. He carefully starting pushing himself off the ground, making sure to keep his eyes tightly screwed shut. _Crack._ Allen froze.

"Oops~" An accented voice sang, utterly unremorseful.

"Chaozii!" The previously bubbly voice was now angry, but that didn't matter. No, Allen was far too busy panicking. His glasses… His glasses were _broken_! The teen's breathing started coming in short sharp gasps, his hands curled so tightly his nails began to dig into his palms. A cacophony of threatening hissing erupted all around him, his snakes furiously defending their master. The tugging sensation on his head told him that they were spreading out in every direction.

"Woah, woah, easy there, kiddo." A warm hand was carefully placed on his arm, just out of reach of the snakes. The tugging intensified as they desperately tried to attack the perceived threat, but they couldn't reach without him moving, and that was _not_ on his agenda. Especially when this person seemed to be trying to help him. The snakes calmed minimally at the thought, not attacking but certainly not backing down on their defensive.

"Do you have another pair of those glasses?" The teen beside him asked calmly. Allen shook his head rapidly, eyes burning behind closed lids. The material was extremely rare, and _extremely_ unpliant. There were only two pairs of the glasses, and the other was at home with Neah. His body started shaking, his teeth grit tightly together. He was screwed, he was _so_ screwed. How was he supposed to get home like this? His sense of direction was bad enough without being blinded.

"It's okay, it's okay," The hand moved up and down his arm comfortingly, and Allen couldn't help but tensing slightly in surprise. "Just keep your eyes closed for a sec."

Allen nodded shakily. Of _course_ he wasn't going to open his eyes. The snakes started moving again, and he tried to calm them, willing them to still and cooperate. Soon, some kind of material was brushing against his head, carefully manoeuvring around each of the snakes, and coming down over his eyes. Did he just get blindfolded?

"There you go, now you don't have to worry, okay?" If he could, Allen would have blinked. Now _he_ didn't have to worry? Shouldn't the other teen be the one worrying? If Allen slipped up just once, he could turn the other teen to stone.

"Oi, Chaozii, take off your shoe." The teen said. Allen clearly heard the command in the tone, but apparently the bully didn't.

"Hah? Why?" Was the obstinate reply.

"Because," The original voice ground out testily. "There are shards of glass in your shoe, and the kid needs them."

"What's going on?" A new voice interrupted. It was deep and smooth, and sent involuntary shivers down Allen's spine.

"Tyki!" The jovial voice made its return, but only for a moment. "Chaozii's being an ass. Oh, and I need his shoe."

"Okay." Was the simple reply, before Allen heard a _thump,_ rustling, and the portly teen protesting loudly. The tinkling of glass soon joined the sounds, and footsteps headed towards him. He briefly noted that no one else seemed to have moved since he closed his eyes. Allen swallowed heavily, fear prickling at his senses as involuntary thoughts begin to take over his mind. What if he hadn't closed his eyes in time? What if he _had_ slipped? What if – the hand was back on his arm, rubbing gently.

"Easy, kiddo." The teen at his side murmured soothingly. Allen forced himself to take a deep breath, he was being ridiculous. Right now, he needed to be practical, and he couldn't do that while he was panicking. The teen gave another shaky nod before he heard more footsteps approaching.

"I got his shoe." 'Tyki' said nonchalantly. Allen heard a chuckle in response.

"Thanks." The teen heard more tinkling, and then an arm wrapped around his shoulders, gently easing him into a standing position. He wobbled slightly, still completely unsure as to why this teen was helping him. Though he supposed there must be _some_ reasonable people out there, he just didn't meet them often. He felt a warm hand press into his lower back, and his snakes raised slightly to the left. Allen shushed them quickly, while the teen on his right laughed quietly.

He was led slowly and carefully by the two, far away from the noise and _danger_. Chaozii would've no doubt tried to take advantage of his blindness in some way, and then twist it to make Allen the bad guy, just like he always did… Allen tried _so hard_ not to hurt anyone, but nobody seemed to care about hurting _him_. When they finally stopped walking, the other two teens gently eased him onto some kind of bench. Were they near the fountain courtyard? That was the only place he remembered having seats and bubbling water, and it was all the way on the other side of campus so it made sense.

"You okay kiddo?" The first voice asked soothingly. Allen paused, thinking. _Was_ he okay? If he was being honest, no. His glasses were broken, he had no idea how he was going to get home, everyone treated him like a monster (including himself if he was being _really_ honest), and Neah was probably going to pull another all-nighter to try and fix the glasses. He was far from okay, but he wasn't about to say that out loud. He bit his lip for a moment, and shrugged. There was a soft sigh from either side of him, both equal parts concerned and exasperated. There was silence for a long moment, and Allen realised that his snakes had finally calmed, once again dangling placidly.

"I'm Lavi, by the way. Sorry about knocking you over, I didn't mean to…" There was guilt in his voice and Allen smiled, relaxing just a bit more as he nodded gently. "On your other side there's Tyki, my boyfriend."

There was a murmur of greeting from his left and Allen bobbed his head in reply, not quite feeling up to speaking just yet. Besides, they probably already knew who he was… A soothing rubbing on his back, and a comforting hand on his shoulder helped Allen relax further. He took the moment of quiet to simply breath. In and out, in and out… Just like always. This continued for a few moments until Allen realised that the thumbed circles on his shoulder kept stop-starting, like the teen got caught up thinking and then abruptly remembered what he was doing. Allen tilted his head. Was something on the teen's mind? His question was answered not a moment later.

"Can I touch your snakes?" Lavi blurted suddenly and Allen balked. What? Like, _what…?_ The other teen spluttered and tripped over several words before he finally managed to string another sentence together.

"I mean, only if it's okay with you. They're just… I mean… They're interesting. And kinda cool…" He mumbled softly, embarrassment tinging his tone. Allen for his part, was completely baffled. Did he just say _cool_. Allen had _snakes_ for hair, and the other teen thought it was interesting and _cool_. Granted Mana and Neah had always thought that too, but that was them, and they were _biased_. Allen swallowed.

"Umm… Y-yeah, I guess…" He agreed hesitantly. Not a moment later and there was a gentle touch against the nearest snake. It was a strange feeling, Lavi's calloused finger on his snakes smooth scales. He shivered lightly and the teen paused with an inquisitive sound. Allen balked.

"Sorry! It just… it feels a little strange." He said carefully. Another pause.

"You can feel that?" Was the completely astonished reply. Allen flushed slightly, nodding. A curious hum, and then the patting continued. Allen cheeks heated, but he didn't protest.

"So…" Lavi started, but abruptly paused. Allen shifted his head so he was looking, hopefully, towards the teen. An open invitation. Another pause, were he imagined the teen chewing his lip in debate.

"So do they, like, need to eat or something?" Allen would've blinked in surprise at the rushed out question, instead laughing lightly. He couldn't help it. It had been a long time since anyone had given his hair anything more than a cursory glance of fear or disgust.

"No. As far as my uncle can tell, they're symbiotic. They get their energy from me." He explained easily. Neah had done so much research it had actually gotten a little annoying.

"Heh…" Was the curious reply. "Do you control them?"

"Not necessarily," Allen replied slowly, tilting his head in consideration. "They generally listen to what I say, but they _are_ sentient. They _will_ act on their own according to the situation and my stress levels."

"So that's why they got all hissy earlier! They were protecting you cos you were upset!" Lavi exclaimed in realisation, Allen nodding along. The other teen didn't say anything for a moment, but the air was tense with unspoken questions. Allen's lips curved into a small smile.

"My uncle's done a lot of research on them, I'm sure he wouldn't mind lending you his notes…" He said softly, hoping that he could trust the other teen. It would be nice to finally have a friend…

"Really?!" Was the excited totally-not-a-squeal. Allen laughed lightly, nodding. A deeper chuckle came from the left, and Allen was once again reminded that Tyki was there too. There was another moment of quiet, which was again broken by Lavi.

"So, how are you gonna get home?" Allen drooped. How _was_ he going to get home? He could try calling Neah, but if the man was doing research he wouldn't hear the phone. He got far too absorbed in whatever he was doing, and it was sometimes very hard to get his attention. Allen sighed, shrugging noncommittally.

"I'll figure something out…" The school sure as hell wasn't going to help. There was a light press against his lower back.

"We can take you home if you need." Tyki offered gently. Allen bit his lip. He didn't want to be ungrateful, but he didn't want to overstep his bounds either. They had helped him a lot already, he didn't want to press his luck. He shrugged helplessly, unsure what to say.

"'m taking that as a yes." Lavi said cheerfully, and a small rush of air brushed Allen's shoulder as the other teen stood up. Tyki grabbed the snake-haired teen's hand and tugged gently as he also stood. Allen smiled shakily as he followed them up, trying to look as grateful as possible while blindfolded.

* * *

"You live in a lab?" Lavi asked, masking his voice with curiosity. Allen hoped he wasn't imagining the disapproval and concern underneath. He shook his head lightly.

"We _own_ the lab, but we don't live in it." He pointed vaguely in the direction their house should be. "We live over… there?"

A chuckle accompanied his unsure statement, and a gentle hand shifted his arm slightly into the right direction. He smiled sheepishly, flushing slightly in embarrassment. They continued moving, slowly heading in the direction Allen presumed the lab was in. He had already told them Neah was likely to be found there. They didn't _officially_ live in the lab, but with the amount of time Neah spent there… Allen couldn't blame the man though. Not after what happened. He grit his teeth as the memory flashed through his mind, before forcing his attention back on the world around him. The footsteps of the teens walking beside him, the wind blowing in the trees and brushing across his face, the weight of the snakes hanging from his head, the gentle hand still pressed in the curve of his back. He took a breath, coming to a halt as he instinctively knew they were in front of the door.

Allen pulled out his key and hesitated. Should he ask one of them to open the door for him? He couldn't exactly see, and he didn't want to embarrass himself, but on the other hand he didn't want to keep asking for their help. His problem was solved, however, when Lavi plucked the key out of his hand. Not a moment later, and Allen could hear the _click_ of the lock and the door swinging open. He stepped through as calmly as possible, only then realising that Neah probably wasn't going to take this well. Or he might. It really depended on his mood. Then again he was practically bi-polar so… Allen's stomach flopped nervously. The teen shook his head, and called out.

"Neah." No answer. Maybe a bit louder? "Neah!" Still no. Allen sighed. Maybe he wasn't in the lab? The teen paused to concentrate. Bubbling, the shuffling of research, a pen on paper… Nope, he was here. He sighed again. He hadn't wanted to open with this…

"Neah… My glasses are broken." He said hesitantly, as loud as he dared. There was a light _crash_ , a small _thump_ , and then the sound of hurried footsteps. They stopped right in front of the teen and Allen couldn't quite help a small gulp. Then Neah's hands were on his face, tilting it this way and that, smoothing over his cheeks and then patting down his arms when he was done with that. Allen sighed, typical.

"Are you alright? You're not hurt?" The man asked, sounding a little frazzled. His voice was slightly grainy from sleep deprivation. Allen could hear more patting, but not on himself, and Neah was muttering something about hiding places. There were more footsteps and ruffling, and then Neah's hands were on his face again, lifting the makeshift blindfold over his eyes and replacing them with the spare glasses.

"Open." The man commanded lightly, tapping on Allen's temples. The teen hesitated briefly, but slowly opened his eyes, revealing his usual red-tinted world. Neah examined him carefully, more thorough this time. Allen smiled tenderly. He forgot sometimes, how soft Neah could be…

"Chaozii again?" The man asked, practically spitting the name out. Allen simply nodded. Neah was the only one who knew the extent of the teen's abuse, and only because he was the only one who would listen. Allen had tried talking to teachers, but they gave him as much regard as the other students. Which was to say, none. Neah was family, and Allen would never lie to him. They trusted each other explicitly. The man had tried convincing Allen to drop out before, but this was the only school in the country for people like them and Neah didn't have time to home-school him. Allen couldn't be selfish, so he put up with it to keep Neah from over-working himself even more, or even worse, uprooting them from their family home.

"So," Neah started, eyes flicking to the other two teens. "Who are these two?"

"Friends…?" Allen said slowly, unsurely. He took a deep breath, blew it out as a sigh and gestured to the two beside him in turn. "Lavi and Tyki, this is my uncle, Neah."

Greetings were exchanged, Chaozii's shoe was handed over (which garnered much amusement from his uncle) with the rest of his glasses, and Allen took this time to take a good look at the two who had helped him. And he had to say he was a little blown away. He had to swallow hard to stop a gasp. They were both beautiful. Lavi had red hair, like Allen used to. Except where Allen's had fallen closer to the colour of rust, Lavi's was bright and vibrant. He had a single green eye, the other covered by an eyepatch and mop of red. Tyki's hair was dark, and his eyes were a warm brown. He was watching Lavi with an affectionate smile on his face. Something about it made him even more beautiful, Allen was sure. They were both taller than him, and slighter broader too. It made him feel strangely safe, having them by his side. But he was getting sidetracked… The sight of the two made his stomach squirm, and heat rise in his cheeks. He pushed it down, desperately trying to focus on his uncle. Neah's hands were still on his shoulders, thumbs massaging gently, and he was watching Allen with curiosity.

"Why have you got a statue of a squirrel on your desk?" Lavi blurted suddenly, looking absolutely baffled. Allen winced, and Neah's eyes sharpened.

"It's not a statue…" Allen muttered despondently, guilt lacing his tone. Lavi blinked once before his mouth took on an 'o' shape. He then clamped his mouth firmly shut, and his brows furrowed ever so slightly. Neah pulled Allen slightly closer, completely subconsciously, eyes appraising as he waited for the other two teens to make a response. Tyki waltzed over and picked the squirrel up, examining it shrewdly.

"Can it feel anything?" He asked curiously. Neah shrugged.

"I don't think so, but the brain is complex. It might still work even after being turned to stone at a base level. Not like I can just ask it." The last sentence was stated bitterly, and Allen almost flinched. He knew the man didn't blame him, that he was bitter at himself for not being able to fix it, but it still made the teen's heart stop whenever he heard that tone. A warm hand found its way to his lower back, comforting and warm. Allen glanced at Tyki, back by his side, and saw him smiling gently. The snake-haired teen gave a small smile back, and then Lavi somehow attracted the man's attention again, and yeah, he definitely looked better with that smile. There was something about it, the way it crinkled his eyes just slightly, warm and content and full of love. Allen decided he quite liked that look.

The afternoon went from there. The two teens introduced themselves to his uncle, Allen fully explained what happened (with their help, since they were the ones who could actually _see_ ), and they ended up staying for dinner (Neah's way of thanking them). The man was a bit more hesitant about giving Lavi his research, not liking the idea of anyone knowing all the particulars about Allen's curse. Lavi reasoned that the man could just take out anything he deemed unnecessary or dangerous. In the end, Neah agreed, if only because Allen pouted at him in that way he simply couldn't resist.

* * *

Allen saw them twice throughout the next day, and neither time had they been in the position to talk. The first time he had seen them in a classroom as he was passing by to get to another class. Their hands were linked beneath the table, and they were leaning against each other slightly, Tyki's remaining hand carding through Lavi's hair. It made Allen's stomach flip, though he wasn't really sure _why_. The second time they were in the hall between classes. Lavi had been pressed up against the taller teen, and they were talking and kissing softly, forehead's pressed together. Allen had flushed, and taken another route so as not to disrupt them. It wasn't until lunch that Lavi caught him alone. He was eating in his usual spot, underneath large sycamore tree just outside the courtyard. Most people ate in the courtyard or inside, so it was a good place for him to relax.

"Hey, Al!" Lavi said brightly, a large grin aimed at the teen. Allen brightened at the cheerful greeting, giving a happy smile of his own. The redhead plopped onto the ground beside him and began to reach out, though he quickly balked and reached back to scratch his own head instead.

"Probably shouldn't ruffle them, huh?" He said, scrunching his nose a bit in consideration. Allen giggled quietly.

"I don't think they'd appreciate it." He concurred, the snakes scrunching up a bit in agreement. Lavi glanced at his food, eyeing it appraisingly.

"Is that enough?" He asked thoughtfully, inquisitive gaze turned toward the teen. Allen blinked, shocked.

"Did you already read all of that?" He asked incredulously. Neah had done a fair amount of research on Allen's snakes (and his curse) and he had given a lot of it to the other teen to look at. The fact that Allen needed more food because of the symbiotic relationship wasn't one of the first things that they had noted. Lavi shrugged with a sheepish grin.

"It was interesting…" He said a little helplessly. Allen stared, baffled. Lavi was unlike almost anyone he had ever met. It was… curious. He allowed his thought track to be broken when the older teen glanced back towards his food pointedly. Allen blinked again.

"Oh, yes, that's enough. I have a big breakfast as well, and snacks throughout the day." He explained easily. He knew how much he needed to eat, and unfortunately three straight meals usually left him hungry in between. His little snakes used up a surprising amount of energy. Then again, there _was_ a lot of them. Lavi nodded happily and then began chattering away about menial things. Allen listened intently, even more so when Tyki joined in (snaking an arm around the redhead's shoulders) and added his own commentary. And when the bell rung, Allen couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Still, he let them go, and when they returned the next day he felt his heart soar.

This continued throughout the week, the older teens joining him for lunch and simply talking. Though of course, his untouched happiness couldn't last forever. At the end of the week, Lavi greeted him with the same brightness, but the cheer seemed almost false and his smile was strained. Allen immediately knew the problem. Lavi had helped him a lot the previous week, and was now spending a fair amount of time with him, it was only natural that the other students would protest this in the only way they could.

"Hey, Al…" The redhead greeted as he took his spot beside the cursed teen. Tyki seemed to swap sides, either sitting beside Lavi or Allen, but he always came a little bit later. Allen couldn't help the tight feeling in his chest.

"Surprising how many rumours you can hear in a day?" The cursed teen mused quietly, a sad smile slipping onto his lips. Lavi gave a tight-lipped smile in return, worry overtaking his single eye.

"I'm not real worried," he shrugged. "Lot of rumours going around about Tyki, too." His face tightened here, anger and frustration leaking onto his visage before he calmed himself. "But you looked pretty upset the other day, when we were talking…"

"It's true." Allen interrupted before the redhead could finish. Lavi frowned.

"You don't know what I was gonna ask…" He said quietly, voice weaker than he probably would have liked. Allen shook his head. There was only one rumour that would come up that a) coincided with their conversation the previous week, b) actually bothered Allen more than slight annoyance or frustration, and c) actually had any merit to it. This was about Mana.

"I'm not going to make excuses or run away. You deserve to know the truth." He said simply, honestly, and took a deep shuddering breath. The teen wasn't sure he wanted to do this. He'd never told anyone before, except Neah of course. But Lavi and Tyki… they were the first ones to even give him a chance at friendship, and he didn't want to ruin that by lying. He hated lying… Besides, they needed to know the consequences of being around him, needed to _understand_. He was dangerous.

"I turned my father to stone." Allen's voice was tight, his eyes closed, and there was a slight tremble he just couldn't stop.

"It was an accident." Lavi said immediately, his voice resolute. Allen gave a startled laugh at that. There was a long pause before he swallowed down the lump in his throat, opened his eyes, and continued.

"He said he wanted to see the colour of my eyes…" Allen's voice was unsteady and he was going to ramble, he knew, but once the words started flowing it was like he couldn't stop. "Can't see them properly through the glasses, and it's too dangerous to try and look otherwise. He was weird like that, always trying to treat me exactly right. They tried to take a photo once, but the film burnt out." He shook his head, eyes burning.

"So he took them off, made me look him straight in the eye and… and –" He choked, unable to finish the sentence as a lump overtook his throat. Lavi pulled him into his arms, wrapping them tight and warm around him. Allen shivered, one half wanting to flinch away and the other half dying to simply melt into the embrace. Lavi buried his face in the snakes just above Allen's brow.

"I'm so sorry, Al…" He said, voice barely above a whisper, yet it was still heavy and slightly wet. Allen let himself relax just slightly, pressing a little bit further into the other teen and he pressed his face into the teen's chest. He man kneaded Allen's back gently, comforting and relaxing all in one. The redhead pursed his lips, a brief sign of hesitance and then shrugged.

"I don't know who my parents are," he started slowly. "I was in an orphanage before I could remember anything different. Gramps picked me up one day, said I was his grandkid, but didn't tell me about my parents. I didn't ask, didn't want to know. Didn't matter."

He shrugged, making an unconcerned face. Allen nodded vaguely. The other teen didn't sound worried or stressed, and there was nothing in his body language to suggest otherwise either, so he let himself bask in the warmth of the other teen. Lavi started drawing random patterns on his back, a distraction, Allen allowed himself a sigh of content. The redhead chuckled slightly and Allen flushed, mind frantically looking for a way out.

"What about Tyki?" He blurted, pulling back just slightly to look at the teen. Lavi immediately tensed and Allen almost flinched. Wrong question. But the redhead answered anyway.

"Tyki's a demi-god. Son of Aphrodite." Lavi said, his face falling into a blank stare. "People don't understand it, you know? There's a lot of rumours and shit about them being "easy"." Allen almost flinched at the coldness in the word.

"That's not how it works though. Aphrodite's the goddess of _love_ , it's not _just_ about sex for them. It's about _affection_ and _bonds_. They fall in love _so easily_ , and people use and abuse it because they don't understand." There was so much frustration in the teen's tone, and Allen felt a lump rising in his throat. He knew that feeling. The feeling of people looking at the surface layer and judging from there. Looking at Allen's appearance and curse, and calling him a monster without even trying to get to know him. Yeah, he knew all about that… and it burned to think that people treated Tyki with the same stigma.

"He's gotten his heart broken so much, but he never gave up. Never gave up on love, never gave up on _me_ …" Lavi was looking away now, eyes distant as his mind took him somewhere else. He shook his head, quiet for a moment, before throwing the teen a casual grin.

"So… what do you usually do on the weekends?" He asked randomly. Allen easily took the conversation change, humming in thought.

"Umm… Homework, TV, workout, make sure Neah doesn't die from exhaustion…" Lavi laughed lightly and Allen couldn't quite contain a grin. Then the redhead was humming with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Homework and workout, huh? So our little Allen is smart _and_ kicks butt." He said, a light teasing tone to his voice. Allen almost rolled his eyes.

"Sure, Lavi. What do _you_ do on the weekend?" He laughed.

"Read." Lavi blurted without even thinking. "And, you know, hang out with Tyki." He tacked on quickly, a light tinge painting his cheeks in embarrassment. Allen giggled slightly and Lavi pouted theatrically.

"Come on! I live in a library, how am I _not_ supposed to read?!" He said dramatically. Allen just laughed louder, and Lavi grinned, getting more and more theatrical as their conversation went. Tyki joined them after some time and immediately started teasing the redhead. Both teens quickly decided that they loved the sound of Allen's laugh. Even if the multitude of snakes raspy-hissy-cough-laugh was a little weird.

* * *

It wasn't long before there was another incident with Chaozii. Allen was in the hall again, weaving through people to get to his next class. Surprisingly, a lot of people weren't giving the teen as much trouble as usual. He'd started to notice that the more he hung around Lavi and Tyki, the less people teased and degraded him. Allen idly wondered if the older teens were doing something he was unaware of. It was in this spacey state of mind that Chaozii struck. He came up behind the teen and _slammed_ into him. The cursed teen flew forwards harshly, his glasses skittering across the ground. He snapped his eyes shut, heart leaping into his throat. His glasses were going to get broken again. Angry, panicked tears formed in the corners of his eyes as he listened to the stomping footsteps moving further and further away. And then he heard Chaozii yelp. More footsteps, lighter this time, and they were heading towards him. Allen felt his glasses being slid back over his eyes, and a light tap on his temple.

"Alright." Tyki murmured, and the snake-haired teen allowed his eyes to flutter open slowly. He kept his eyes low for a moment, making absolutely sure, before giving the older teen a grateful smile.

"Thank you." Tyki smiled and helped him up, and Allen took the time to take a quick glance around. Chaozii was scowling heavily, and holding his shin. Allen blinked. Had the other teen… kicked him? Allen shook his head, that seemed unlikely. Tyki tugged his hand, regaining his attention, and guided him through the hall to his next class. He didn't let go of Allen's hand until they parted at the door. After an ungodly hour of maths that made Allen dizzy, he had a free period due to his history teacher being absent. He immediately headed for the library, intent on getting some work done. He beelined for his usual spot, behind the stacks where no one would bother him, but paused when he got there.

Tucked into his usual corner were his favourite people (besides Neah, of course). Lavi had his nose buried in a book, completely absorbed, while Tyki sat nearby and appeared to be napping. His legs were stretched across Lavi's lap, and he was leaning back on his chair with a book over his face. Allen paused. They looked so peaceful, should he really be bothering them? And they already spent plenty of time with him, he didn't want to annoy them… Allen slumped. He was weak. He trotted over, making sure to keep quiet so he didn't bother anyone, and came up behind the older teen. Allen lifted the book of Tyki's face, he looked startled, and a little bit guilty. The older teen blinked when he recognised him, a look of pleasant surprise overtaking his face. Allen smiled, a little cheeky, but mostly soft.

"He really does like reading, doesn't he?" He murmured, eyes flickering over to the redhead who still hadn't noticed his presence. Tyki chuckled, a warm smile blooming across his face.

"Yeah…" He breathed, and there was that look again. Allen smiled, biting his lip just a little. He really did look even more beautiful when he looked at Lavi like that, eyes soft and smile gentle. The cursed teen shook his head and sat down quietly, making sure he didn't disturb the enamoured redhead, and scooted a little closer to Tyki.

"How's your history?" He asked quietly, and Tyki rolled his eyes passionately.

"How's my history, I _wonder_ …" He said sarcastically, giving the redhead a pointed look. "Only _somebody's_ favourite subject." Allen bit back a laugh as Tyki shook his head, completely ignored, and pulled the younger teen's book closer.

"What are you having trouble with?" He asked easily.

"The Fall of Edo during the Meiji Restoration." Allen replied immediately. They had skimmed over it in class, but the teacher had refused to answer any questions, telling them to research it in their spare time. Allen had come to learn that this usually meant there was going to be an assignment on it.

"Okay, so during the Edo Period, or the Tokugawa Shogunate, the leaders of the Meiji Restoration decided they needed to restore Imperial rule to Japan…" Tyki started, easily and effectively laying out all the relevant information he could remember, and even advising some books that had important details (Lavi had far too much influence on his knowledge of books, in his personal opinion). By the time they were done, Lavi had finished his book, stretching happily and peeking over to see what was happening.

"What'd I miss?" He asked curiously. Tyki gave him a teasing smirk.

"Meiji Restoration." He said casually. Lavi gave a mock gasp of horror, grabbing the book and skimming over their notes. He made a pleased sound, scribbled a few notes of his own and then threw his love a grin.

"Good job!" He said, pecking him on the lips. Tyki puffed up, wearing a grin of his own. Allen wanted to melt at the sight, just a little. The bell rang then, signalling the start of the next period, and Allen couldn't help the pout that slipped onto his face, flushing when Lavi chuckled.

"I know, I love listening to his voice too." He said dreamily, only half-teasing. Tyki flushed a little at that, wide smile not abating, and bumped shoulders with the redhead. Lavi chuckled again, bumping back and giving the teen another quick kiss. The day went from there.

* * *

Dodgeball. Allen's least favourite game, because it gave the other students a clean reason to target him. Though Allen had gotten good at the game simply for this reason. He wasn't _exactly_ sure what had happened, but it was raining heavily outside and there were two classes crowded into the gym instead of one. So the teachers had declared a game of Dodgeball. And not the normal kind either. There were no teams, just an all-out war to decide a single winner. Allen really hated this game… Everybody moved into place, a wide circle around the mass of balls in the centre. The whistle blew and the entire gym was running, some inwards, some out, and some zigzagging to find a good spot. Allen backed up against a wall, waiting and watching. He sidestepped a ball flying his way and glared at Chaozii. The other teen merely gave him a vicious grin. Allen frowned. It was going to be one of those days…

His eyes drifted over the expanse of the gym, finding Lavi and Tyki. They were both already getting a lot of people out, Tyki had a strong arm and Lavi a killer aim. Allen sidestepped another ball, picking it up and tossing it back out. A yelp, and a score for Allen. He darted into the mass of students when he noticed several coming towards him, obviously intent on getting him out. He dodged around people, using them as shields and stealing balls when people went out. Maybe not the nicest strategy, but it got Allen far. People were dropping like flies at this stage, and the teachers were starting to snag a couple of balls to lessen the ammo, an extra disadvantage. Only about twenty students left now. Make that nineteen. He watched Tyki gain a cheeky grin and toss a ball at Lavi. The redhead yelped, dodged, and pouted at the raven. Allen laughed, dodging another ball and snagging one from the ground. He tossed, missed and dodged again. A warning hiss from behind and he ducked, a ball sailing over his head and hitting someone else instead. He turned to see Chaozii, again, and scowled. Why couldn't the teen just leave him alone?

He darted forwards when the teen got another ball and immediately aimed at him, snagging a ball off the ground to deflect it. He bat the offending ball away and looked up, just in time to see the other teen get hit by two balls simultaneously. Judging by the way he flinched they must have been thrown hard. Allen turned to see Lavi and Tyki smirking victoriously, and smiled. They really were sweethearts. He heard Lavi yelp again, and Tyki was chuckling so he guessed the raven was aiming for his lover again. There were barely a dozen people left now and Allen was a little surprised he'd made it this far. Three more out, and Allen was almost one of them. So was Lavi. Tyki caught a ball, so that was another, and then used it against someone so it was down seven. Allen caught a ball, deflected another one and tossed his at Lavi. The redhead dodged and pouted at him, and Allen laughed. There were students hooting and hollering from the sidelines now, each cheering somebody on. Allen didn't hear his name, but he didn't care, focusing instead on the five people left. He got someone out, and ducked behind the redhead, who caught a ball and that left the three of them. Allen stayed low for the moment, picking up a ball and following Lavi. The two lovers were clearly having fun trying to get each other out, so Allen left them alone and watched. They were laughing and teasing each other, though Tyki glanced at him a couple of times, curious and playful. It was during one of those times that the redhead struck, aiming just so and hitting Tyki where he couldn't catch the ball.

"Yes!" The redhead cried happily, while Tyki gave him a teasing glare. Allen scooted forward, gently tossed the ball and hit Lavi square in the back. The redhead jolted with a yelp and whipped around with a dramatic gasp. Allen gave the most innocent smile he could. Tyki laughed and Lavi grinned, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Allen beamed. Nobody cheered for Allen's win, but the teen didn't care, because that was probably the most fun he'd ever had in a gym class. And it was all because of them.

Allen hurried to their sycamore after class was over (having lost the two amongst the crowd), still elated from their previous game and eager to spend more time with his friends. The rain had stooped halfway through their class and the sun was shining again, only adding to Allen's good mood. The teen jogged around a corner to get to the tree and balked, freezing in his tracks at the sight before him. Lavi was straddling Tyki's lap, their arms wound loosely around each other, and they were kissing lazily. Allen's face exploded in red. His snakes curled up momentarily, mirroring his mindset, before four of them slapped themselves over his eyes. He heard a few more hissing a loud protest, and a light, coughing choke from in front of him.

"Al!" Was Lavi's shocked exclamation. The snakes finally allowed him a peek, before moving completely to restore his sight. Allen waved shyly.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt…" He mumbled sheepishly. Both teens looked about as shocked as Allen, but only Tyki seemed to be suffering from the same flaming cheeks. Though if Allen looked carefully, he would've seen the light pink tinge to the redhead's cheeks as well. Lavi shuffled into a new position (not a large change, he simply turned so he was sitting in Tyki's lap instead of straddling him), and Tyki wasted no time in burying his face in the redhead's shoulder. Lavi laughed lightly, threading his fingers in his lovers curls and motioning for Allen to sit down. The cursed teen complied, shuffling over and plopped into his usual spot, trying desperately to abate the heat in his cheeks. Lavi started chatting away merrily, and Allen forced himself to focus on the words, not on the redhead's slightly swollen lips.

* * *

In the weeks that followed, Allen spent more and more time with the two lovers. And over that time, Allen noticed that Tyki seemed to be getting more and more agitated, especially around _him_. He jolted when they got too close, shifted uncomfortably when they talked, and stuck to Lavi's side like glue. It made Allen's chest tight and his eyes burn, but he tried his best to hide it. He understood, after all. He was dangerous. That was something he knew better than anyone else. Nobody needed to say it, to point it out or shove it in his face. Nobody feared Allen's curse more than Allen himself. So he understood. He understood that Tyki didn't want to be around him, or for him to be around Lavi, because Allen could end up hurting them. Could end up _killing_ them. What the teen didn't realise, was that he didn't understand at all. Because he forget something very simple that Lavi had said about the older teen. Something that he never took into account about his interactions with anyone, really. It took overhearing a conversation between the two for him to realise how wrong he was. They were sitting under Allen's sycamore, their designated "hang-out spot". Allen brightened immediately upon seeing them, and had started to walk over. But something stopped him. Tyki looked so _distressed_ it actually hurt. Allen's heart ached and his knees locked. He shouldn't interrupt them. But they were already talking and neither had noticed him.

"Lavi…" Tyki started, unsure. He didn't know where to begin.

"Allen, right?" Lavi guessed, a warm smile playing at his lips. Allen froze. Tyki flinched, but nodded.

"I love you Lavi, I don't want to lose you…" Tyki's voice was weak, yet held a sense of urgency, like he _needed_ the other to understand. The redhead shushed him gently.

"I know," Lavi crooned, kissing the man softly. "You won't lose me, Tyki. Your hearts big enough for the both of us. Besides… I always figured I'd have to share you some day."

"I love you…" Tyki whispered again, soft and earnest, shuddering slightly as Lavi wrapped his arms around him. He practically buried himself in the redhead's arms, tucking his head under the teen's chin. Lavi immediately started rubbing soothing circles into the teen's back.

"If anybody deserves your love, it's Allen." Lavi said sweetly. "You're gonna have to share too, you know." He added teasingly, unaware of the way Allen's heart stopped, even as Tyki nodded, nuzzling closer and started calming down.

What did the older teen mean? Tyki couldn't possibly… and Lavi? Allen swallowed harshly, head swimming. He was moving away before even making the conscious decision, creeping back the way he came so he didn't disturb them. He ended up in an empty hallway, mind swirling too much for his body to move. He must have misheard, or misinterpreted. There was no way Tyki felt that way… Did Allen? Just the simple thought of being with the teens made Allen's heart flutter and his cheeks warm. But, no, he must have been wrong. There was no way anyone could love him. But Mana and Neah did. Why not Lavi and Tyki? Allen's head felt fuzzy, and heavy, and his vision blurred around the edges, a single shred of hope worming its way into his heart. Was it possible…?

"Hey Al!" A jovial voice cried, and Allen jolted so violently he swore he saw Lavi flinch. "Woah, easy! Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." Lavi's voice was a touch unsure as he stopped beside the teen, confusion and concern colouring his face as Tyki came up on his other side. The movement seemed so easy, so _right_. But Allen didn't want to jump to conclusions, especially since he didn't stick around to hear the end of the conversation.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." He blurted, squirming a little. The teen bit his lip. He wanted to relax, wanted to let himself feel safe and warm between them, like he did before.

"What's wrong?" Tyki said softly, and he was finally acting normally around Allen again. A soft hand pressed gently into his back in comfort. Allen chewed on the lip between his teeth. He wanted the man to tell him. Or reject him. Either way, he needed to know if what he heard was true. But he also didn't want to just force him to say it, _or_ tell the two teens he had eavesdropped.

"Y-you've, umm, you've been acting kind of weird…" He said weakly, hating that he had stuttered. He wasn't technically lying, Tyki _had_ been acting weird. Allen just knew the reason why. Tyki winced, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah, sorry about that…" He murmured quietly, sincerity and guilt lacing his tone, as his thumb started caressing Allen's spine. The teen swallowed. Tyki's hand was warm, and it seeped into Allen' skin comfortingly. He really liked that feeling… almost a little too much.

"We were wondering if we could talk about that." Lavi continued for the other teen, giving a reassuring grin. Allen smiled lightly and nodded, even as his stomach flipped uncomfortably, and the two led him elsewhere. It was across the Campus, somewhere Allen had never been before. He was fairly sure this area was used by the higher levels. The buildings were somewhat old in design, but obviously well cared for. Red-brick buildings with high-arched windows and slated roofs. They were quite beautiful. The three teens entered a room near the back of the buildings, Lavi closing the door carefully behind them. Allen hoped he had imagined the click of a lock. He trusted them, but at the same time he felt anxious, his stomach bubbling with unease. The teen shook his head, looking around the room to distract himself. It was a large room, and it seemed to be some sort of student lounge. There were lots of couches, beanbags and tables with comfy looking chairs. Right up the back, nestled between beanbags and a large TV, was a giant hammock. Lavi grabbed the cursed teen's hand headed in that immediate direction.

"You're not technically supposed to be in here, but –" The redhead shrugged, and let himself fall onto the fabric, dragging Allen down with him. The teen let out a squeak as he practically fell on top of the other, quickly rolling so he was beside him instead. Lavi was grinning at him widely, arm sliding around his shoulders. Tyki smiled, settling on Allen's other side, effectively trapping him between them. Tyki wrapped his arm around Allen's shoulders too, fingers threading their way into the hair at the nape of Lavi's neck. The redhead practically purred, leaning into the touch happily. Allen flushed, squirming slightly. The heat was almost unbearable, but Allen wouldn't give it up for anything. He didn't think he'd ever felt this comfortable before, bar maybe Mana's hugs.

"S-so, talking…" Allen wanted the ground to swallow him. Why did he keep _stuttering_? Lavi tapped his chin in thought.

"Hmm, talking…" The older teen grinned and shrugged. He swooped in and then there were lips against Allen's. The younger teen's eyes widened almost comically, his cheeks flushing crimson, even as Lavi pulled away.

"I like that better." Lavi said instead, voice taking on a slightly husky edge. Allen stuttered and made incomprehensible noises, his snakes curling up with a light pink hue, as he desperately tried to form a response. Lavi merely grinned and pecked him on the lips again. Allen squeaked, quieting immediately. Then there were fingers hooking under his chin, and Tyki was turning his head. Allen stared up at him as the man smiled warmly.

"This is what we wanted to talk about." He murmured gently, pressing his lips to Allen's as well. Allen's heart fluttered, and he finally let himself melt into their arms. They took turns pressing gentle kisses on the teen's lips, his temple, his cheeks. Allen sighed in content. _This_ …. This was _perfect_.

* * *

It didn't take long for rumours about their relationship to go around, and it took even less time for Chaozii to voice an opinion about it. And he wasn't subtle about it either. He walked right up to them, in the middle of a crowded courtyard, and spoke loudly.

"Honestly, you two are disgusting, dating something like _that_." He spat the word like Allen was something foul. "I suppose I'm not surprised though, considering how _easy_ you are."

He aimed that at Tyki, the older teen bristling, and something in Allen just _snapped_. He didn't care what the rat said about him, but like _hell_ he was letting him insult Tyki. His snakes curled tightly, an angry heat burning in his chest. But Chaozii didn't notice, just kept on talking.

"I'm sure with all the practice you've got, you'd be pretty good, huh? Maybe I'd even let you go down on me." The teen leered. Tyki leant back, just slightly, but his discomfort was clear. And that was that. Allen stepped forward. He wasn't going to let Tyki suffer this abuse, especially not because of him.

"Tyki wouldn't touch you with a ten-foot pole." He said coldly, and everyone's attention jolted onto him. "Tyki's not _easy_ , nor does he have any interest in _you_. You're vile, and cruel. Certainly not worth his time or attention. He's far better than that." Chaozii's lips twisted into a sneer, an almost snarl-like sound coming out after.

"What the hell do you know? You're just a monster." He spat, looking at Allen in disgust. There were several gasps from the small crowd, and all of the sudden Allen could _feel_ Tyki next to him. And he was _angry_.

"I may look like a monster," Allen replied evenly, tone icy. "but at least I have a heart. Unlike you." Chaozii flared, his face contorting in rage as he exploited every inch of his body to make himself bigger.

"You piece of _shit_!" He snarled, stalking forwards and raising his fist. Allen tensed, straightening slightly, but Chaozii had barely thrown his punch before it was caught. Tyki's knuckles were white from the force he was applying, and Allen could _swear_ he heard a sharp _snap_. The older teen looked _furious_ , his expression thunderous and his eyes had taken on a golden tinge, something Lavi had mentioned only happened when he was fully employing his Demi-God powers. Said redhead chuckled darkly.

"Geez, Chaozii, you should know better than to anger a Demi-God." His voice was teasing, but there was an undeniably dark, threatening undertone lurking beneath the surface. Something that said 'one more step, I _dare you_ '. The air was thick with tension, and there was an unpleasant heaviness. Then there was a girl stepping forward. She was pixie-like, with flowing golden hair. Allen was fairly sure she was in a few of his classes. Yes, she was a Muse called La-La (he had once had the… _pleasure_ of getting her ranting about her charge, Guzol).

"Leave Allen alone Chaozii. And the rest of you. If you opened your eyes a little bit, you'd see Allen isn't even a _little bit_ scary. He's just like anybody else here. His curse may be powerful, but that doesn't mean he has any intent to use it." Her voice rang loud and clear, and it was followed by uncomfortable murmuring. Allen couldn't quite hold his surprise, his jaw slightly loose, but he also couldn't help the way his heart leapt. Chaozii bared his teeth, and Tyki's grip tightened.

"I'll give you one warning, and one only." Tyki growled lowly, his voice ringing with authority. "Do not touch my boyfriend _ever_ again. Don't speak to him, and don't come near him." Chaozii clenched his teeth, but said nothing. He glared at the Demi-God for a long while, before finally retracting his fist, cradling it to his chest.

"Whatever." He spat, sneering at the teen and storming away. The crowd parted for him immediately, even without the snarled comments he was hurling their way. Allen ignored the raging teen in favour of looking to Tyki. He was still staring after Chaozii, and his face was strangely blank. Allen slipped his hand into the ravens, and gave him a warm smile when he looked down. Tyki smiled softly at him, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. Allen ducked his head just a little, before turning to La-La.

"Thank you…" He started gratefully, but she shook her head.

"I should apologise." She said earnestly. "I should've done that a long time ago."

And Allen smiled, warm and just a little bit sad. He couldn't blame her. Like she said, his curse was powerful, which meant _dangerous_. They chatted for a while afterwards, and the teen left with another budding friendship.

* * *

Tyki's mood was low for _weeks_ after the episode with Chaozii. He barely touched Lavi or Allen, and every time either tried touching him, he brushed it off. It left Allen with a sick feeling in his stomach, and he was sure that Lavi was worse. He hated seeing Tyki like this. It made his chest feel tight and his eyes burn when he thought about how much the older teen must be hurting. He thought about how _he_ felt, whenever Choazii attacked him, and how it made him think and feel afterwards. It made him think about how Tyki must be feeling right now. And it made him _hurt_. In the end, Allen made the impulse decision to invite the older teen over for dinner. Lavi was busy that night, and had already left. The cursed teen could already see Tyki hesitating, his mood unimproved, but eventually he agreed. Neah was in the lab, as always, and they were sitting on the couch in the living room, food spread out on the coffee table before them. Allen chattered lightly as they ate, the older teen mostly poking at his food (which only served to further worry Allen) and time passed slowly. Eventually, Allen stopped talking, putting his hand on the table beside Tyki's and lightly touching his fingers. A request. Tyki reacted on instinct, tangling their fingers slightly, but remained quiet for several moments after.

"I just don't understand how someone as perfect as Lavi could possibly want to stay with someone like me…" He finally said, his voice low and distressed, and Allen's heart broke. How could he not see it?

"What?" Was all he could manage, voice rasping and weak as he tried to form a sentence. Didn't Tyki know, how amazing he was? He stood up, all of the sudden restless. He waved his hands around as he tried to think of something to say, something to make Tyki _see_. He settled for being blunt.

"Do you have any idea how many people want you?" The teen asked, painfully aware of how insignificant he was.

"Anybody would go after someone so easy." The man replied bitterly, and Allen just about wanted to tear his hair out.

"That's not what I meant!" He snapped, wincing when Tyki flinched. He reached out, lightly touching the man's face, before pulling back and pacing. He waved his arms again, trying to find the words he was looking for. Tyki looked miserable and it _hurt_ , far more than Allen thought was fair. He knelt down in front of the man and looked at him dead in the eye.

"Do you even look in the mirror?" His exasperation was clear as he cupped the man's face in his hands. Tyki merely looked confused, and a touch insulted. "You are… _breathtakingly_ beautiful Tyki." Allen whispered heartfeltly. Tyki's eyes widened in shock as the teen gently caressed his face. Allen continued on easily, his voice soft and sweet.

"You're playful, and open, and funny. You can be a sarcastic little _shit_ , and even a touch sadistic, but you're loyalty and love are unparalleled. You're willing to give people a _chance_ , even when they don't necessarily deserve it." Allen sure as hell didn't. "The sound of your voice is like fire on a cold night, and the way your eyes crinkle up when you smile at someone you love is… probably one of the cutest things I've ever seen. You are _desirable_ , Tyki, for far more important reasons than being "easy"."

He spat the word out like it was vulgar, and to him it really was. Tears were falling freely from Tyki's eyes, his cheeks showed a light dusting of pink, and his body was trembling as he raised his hands to cover Allen's. He tried to speak, but nothing came out. He didn't bother trying again. Instead, he fell to the floor in front of Allen and kissed him sweetly. It was short and chaste, and Tyki broke away in favour of holding the teen in his arms. He gripped Allen tightly, arms wrapped firmly around him as the man buried his face in the crook of the teen's neck. Allen wrapped his arms around Tyki's neck, fingers curling in his hair and massaging gently. He let one hand drop down to rub comforting circles in the man's back. They were quiet for a long moment, before the older teen decided he needed to speak.

"You should listen to your own words sometimes, you know?" Tyki mumbled, leaning back to look at the other. Allen simply looked confused. "Your value isn't defined by your looks, or your curse. Neither of which I mind, by the way. You're more beautiful than you think. Inside, and out."

Allen's heart leapt into his throat, much the way Tyki's had only moments before. His body filled with an almost indescribable warmth, something the teen could only liken to a sun's rays or a warm bath on a winter's night. He took a shaky breath, trying to remind himself not to pass out. He smiled sweetly, if a tad unsure, and pressed a light kiss to the older teen's nose. Tyki chuckled, startled and amused, and pressed a kiss to Allen's nose too. The teen couldn't help the quiet giggle that escaped his lips, and smiled just a little brighter. Tyki smiled too. It was warm and gentle, and Allen couldn't help but feel like it was somehow familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. But that wasn't important, in the end, because Tyki was smiling again and that was all that mattered. Lavi appeared at his door the next day, smile tender and grateful.

"Tyki told me about what you said. All of it. I don't think it's going away any time soon." His smile was both warm and sad at the same time, and his single green eye was troubled. "It really means a lot, I hope you know that."

"I know." Allen said, smile just as warm and sad as the other. Lavi still looked troubled, his eyes were trained on the ground, but he kept glancing up. With each glance he frowned just a little bit more. After a few minutes of this, Allen's stomach flopping uncomfortably, the redhead finally turned towards. He shifted his entire body so he was facing the teen, an air of complete serious around him. Allen swallowed heavily, and Lavi must have felt the teen's nervousness because he smiled reassuringly. Another moment passed and Lavi cupped his cheek gently, absentmindedly rubbing his thumb across the smooth skin. He smiled, the same warm and sad smile as before, and looked the other teen in the eye.

"You're beautiful, Al," Lavi whispered, kissing the teen softly. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

A light flush crept up his cheeks, but he didn't really know what to say, so he simply leant forward and pressed their lips together again. Lavi responded in kind, cupping Allen's cheek and tilting his head just so. The teen sighed as Lavi pulled away and started pressing feather light kisses along his jawline. The snakes moved back, allowing the redhead further access. Lavi had just pressed a kiss below the teen's ear when a curious snake stuck its snout in his face. The redhead blinked in surprise, then chuckled slightly.

"Somebody's jealous~" He teased lightly, scratching the snake under the jaw. It seemed to enjoy the attention, but still refused to move. Lavi chuckled again, kissing it on the tip of its snout. The snake wiggled in delight, and Lavi could swear that it pinkened slightly. Every single snake was now watching him. Allen chuckled.

"You know you're going to have to do them all now, right?" He said ruefully. Lavi chuckled.

"I can do that." The redhead grinned, carefully pushing the snake he had just kissed to the side. "One each, no cheatin' now."

A snake immediately raised its head before him, eagerly awaiting his affections. Lavi chuckled and pressed a kiss to the snakes snout, gently pushing it towards the other and moving on to the next. Allen couldn't help the wide grin that split his face, giddiness bubbling in his stomach and erupting into a bubble of laughter as Lavi kissed each and every one of them, usually with some kind of commentary.

"Hey now, no fighting."

"No, I already did you."

"If you're gonna be like _that_ I'll make you form a line."

" _I already did you_!"

Neah stood in the shadow of the house watching, a warm smile on his face as he looked on. Allen's face was flushed, and Neah didn't think he'd ever seen the teen smile so wide. He never thought he'd get to hear that bubbly laughter again. Watching Allen this happy, he only wished Mana was here to see it… With that thought in mind, he stole one last glance at the giggling teenagers and headed back into the lab, determination fully restored. He was going to bring Mana back, and give Allen the family he deserved.

* * *

Allen had to say he was a little surprised when Neah asked his lovers to dinner, but at the same time he felt he should've seen it coming. Neah had only gotten more protective of the teen after their loss of Mana, it wouldn't be unusual for him to want to scope out Allen's friends, especially when these two could so easily break his heart. Neah thoroughly interrogated both the teens, pulling them aside one by one and making the other distract Allen. The night went fairly easily, Neah only grudgingly passing the two with severe warnings of repercussions should they harm his baby. Lavi had actually cooed a little. Neah scowled. Now the two were standing together watching Tyki and Allen chat. Neah watched. Watched Allen smile, and blush, and act like a normal teenager in love. It made him happy, even if he didn't like to admit it… He took a long moment to think.

"He doesn't like looking people in the eyes." Neah said suddenly, watching the cursed teen shamelessly flirt with his raven-haired boyfriend. His eye twitched lightly, but he knew Allen wanted this, and he hadn't wanted anything more than Mana for a long time. Lavi, on the other hand, was shocked by the sudden outburst.

"Eh?" The redhead blurted in surprise.

"Allen. He doesn't like looking people in the eyes." Was the distracted answer, the man snatched a vial from the nearby desk, squinting at it distractedly. "He's afraid that one day, the glasses won't work anymore, and he'll turn someone to stone again." He put the vial down, his face forlorn. There were things these two needed to know, so they could protect Allen too. He stared at the desk, eyes distant for a long while. Lavi didn't speak, didn't dare. Eventually, Neah sighed, head tilting back as he stared into space.

"That scar on his face, over his eye? He did that to himself." Neah's voice was so quiet Lavi hoped he misheard him.

" _What_?" The redhead breathed, horrified. Neah nodded solemnly.

"It was just after Mana, maybe a week? He couldn't… I should've seen it… He was so… _lost_." Neah stumbled through his words, voice weak and wet. Tugging a stressed hand through his hair, he took a deep breath to steady himself, and continued. "After Mana, his powers became everything that was wrong to him. So he tried to get rid of them. He took a knife from the kitchen and tried to take his own eyes out. I barely stopped him in time, and left him with a scare to boot."

Neah's voice was trembling, and Lavi's heart was in his throat. Both their eyes were burning. Images flashed through their minds, a memory for one, a nightmare for both. Lavi trembled lightly, just the _thought_ of Allen hurting himself like that… he wanted to be sick. He never wanted Allen to feel like that. Neah's teeth clenched, and he turned to give the teen a hard stare.

"I don't want to see that happen again, and if you care about him _at all_ , you'll be careful with him. Take precautions. Don't be clumsy, or neglectful. Take care of _him_ , by taking care of _yourselves_. It might hurt him sometimes, but he'll understand, and it'll be better for him in the long run. He can't go through that again…" He voice was a near growl, still low and unsteady, but Lavi understood the protective fury behind the words. He nodded heavily, without hesitation. He didn't want to hurt Allen, and this was something that they were going to have to deal with together. They spent a another quiet moment, both thinking solemnly, before heading back to the other two. Lavi beelined for Allen, snaking his arm around the teen. He kept his eye a little higher than usual, taking care to avoid looking at the teen's eyes over the glasses were they couldn't protect him, and pressed a kiss to the teen's scar. Allen tensed beneath him, quickly relaxing with a deep sigh.

"Neah…" Not quite accusing, but not happy either. Lavi rested his head there for a moment, holding the teen close. He took a deep breath in, basking in the warmth, before pulling away slightly. Tyki was watching on, eyes intent, curious and worried. Lavi gave him a tight smile and knew that they would have to talk later.

"So, you want to do something this weekend?" Lavi asked the cursed teen. Allen hummed, turning to him, and Lavi noticed the way he didn't move his eyes until the glasses blocked them. His heart clenched, but Allen was smiling, sweet and bright and excited, and Lavi knew that they were going to be okay.

 **~ End ~**

* * *

 **AN:** Ugh, I don't know I just _love_ Gorgon! Allen. Sorrynotsorry, but this is probably getting another chap for backstory. Also, Allen's glasses are mix inspired by Medusa's glasses in a movie called Voyage of the Unicorn (watch at own risk, it's weird) and Cyclops' glasses in X-Men. Sidenote, the snakes only laugh when Allen's _really_ laughing, like uncontrollable, gasping for breath, stomach clenching laughter.

Local Pervert (Guest): Yush, totally doing kitsune!Allen! _Almost_ nuff said, though I need one question answered – pairing or no? I can take a wild guess and say you wanted Poker Pair because of the chapter you reviewed on, but I don't want to assume things.

 **Omake:** _I like the hair…_ AND _Reunited Once More_

"I talked to my mum about Allen's curse, but she said she couldn't break it." Tyki said mournfully, wrapping his arms around his lovers as far as they would go. "She said that the curse is too powerful… she could probably do the hair, but not the eyes, they're too complicated."

Allen smiled encouragingly, squeezing the man's hand in comfort. He hadn't honestly expected the Goddess to be able to do much, or even be _willing_ to do much. It had nothing to do with her, bar her son, and it was far from her area of expertise. But he hadn't wanted to hurt Tyki when the man suggested it, so he let him go. Lavi, on the other hand, was frowning deeply.

"But I like the hair…" He said, slightly indignant. Allen blinked, then broke into a stunted laugh. The teen couldn't help a large grin as Lavi reached over and buried his fingers in Allen's snake hair, petting and playing with them happily.

"Who are my favourite snakies in the world? You are." He cooed, burying his face in Allen's hair as the snakes lathered him in attention. Lavi laughed brightly at all the snake-kisses he was getting. Allen giggled happily, turning around to swat at the teen playfully. Honestly, he was such a weirdo!

* * *

Lavi sprinted through the streets, scarf whipping behind him in the light breeze. The teen didn't think he'd ever run this fast before, but this was _important_ and he couldn't wait. He skidded to a halt in front of the door and started banging, loud and incessantly.

"I think I know how to save Mana!" He blurted as soon as Neah angrily yanked open the door, Allen standing wobbly and bleary eyed behind him. It was fair, Lavi thought, it _was_ three am. But as soon as the words left his mouth, they both straightened, inexplicably more alert. Neah's eyes narrowed sharply, and Lavi shoved a piece of parchment into his hand as gently as shoving would allow.

"It's old. Like _way_ old. It's from the Bookman archives. I had to practically _beg_ Gramps to let me take it out." The teen ranted. He _had_ in fact had to beg. And plead, and beg some more on his hands and knees, because Bookman had long ago stopped trusting people with the information in the archives, for some of it was _far_ too powerful and there were _so many_ wrong hands for it to fall into. But this was _Allen_ , and Lavi couldn't give up when he finally had a _chance_. A chance to see his new love _truly_ smile from the bottom of his heart, because the fate of his father wasn't hanging over his shoulders.

"Medusa and her sisters, the Gorgons, they used to hunt with their powers, turn their prey to stone. Then they'd just smash it to pieces and _eat it_ , because the rock _turned back to flesh in their mouths and stomachs_." He spewed in a rush of air, hoping they managed to catch that. Neah's eyes widened, immediately scouring the parchment in his hands. Excitement replaced the man's scepticism and he was running to the lab before either teen could stop him. Allen followed closely, with shaky steps as his body trembled. Lavi gripped his hand and squeezed, excitement practically oozing out of his body. The younger teen gave the redhead a weak smile and continued walking undeterred.

"Should I synthesize it? Does it _need_ to be synthesised? It should be fine without synthesising…" Neah muttered and rambled, picking things up and putting them down and squinting at everything he had, running fingers through his hair in nervous excitement. The man then grabbed the closest stone creature they had and dumped it on the desk, rushing over to Allen with a small glass.

"Spit." He said bluntly. Allen made an indignant sound, but did as he was told. Once the teen had filled the small cup, much to his disgust, Neah carried it over to the small mouse he had procured and started lathering the substance on with a brush. They held their breaths, still as the stone they watched. Nothing happened at first, Allen's heart sticking in his throat, but soon the stone started disintegrating until there was a startled, squeaking mouse standing on the bench. Neah had to quickly give it another brush and a good clean before the mouse was fully mobile, and Allen rushed inside to get something for it to eat. It munched happily while Lavi and Neah buzzed, Allen staring in astonished delight. He couldn't believe… after all this time, they figured it out! He could see Mana again.

Neah was muttering again, quick and under his breath so that neither of the teens could understand. He was pacing, grinning and frowning and baring his teeth as he thought furiously. Lavi was on his phone, grinning wildly and typing madly. Allen chuckled. Looks like Tyki was getting a wake-up call. The teen couldn't stop the large grin that spread across his face, excitement rearing its head as hope filled his chest for the first time in years.

It took far too long, in Neah and Allen's personal opinions, to synthesise and mass produce enough of the antidote (Lavi fondly called it the "Stone Away Draft") to utilise properly. An enclosed chemical shower had quickly been rigged to use the substance, and Mana's petrified form had been carefully manoeuvred inside. The machine rumbled as it was turned on, whirring loudly as it worked. A _click_ and a _pop_ signalled the unlocking of the door, the automated piece moving into position to the side. They all held their breaths as the mist cleared and a man no older than thirty waved a hand in front of his face, spluttering a little.

"Neah," he whined, stepping out of the device. "Why was I in the chemical shower?"

"Mana…" Allen choked before anyone could answer. Mana froze at the sound, eyes widening as he looked at the teen before him. Allen immediately broke down, throwing himself at his father and wailing. A heaviness that had seemed to weigh him down for the past few years seemed to lift, and Allen felt like he could finally breathe again. Mana caught the teen easily, arms wrapping around him tightly even though his confusion was still plain. It took a moment, the teen crying uncontrollably in his arms before realisation dawned.

"Allen…?" He breathed in a mix of awe and confusion, the shaking teen sobbing in his arms. "You got big…"

Allen yanked back abruptly, his snakes rearing in sudden anger. " _Idiot._ " He screeched, punching the man in the middle of the chest. Mana squeaked in surprise, shrinking slightly as the teen glared at him. Neah was standing to the side, his face twisted in a mixture of relief and anger. Mana looked between them, guilt in his eyes and a discontent puff to his cheeks.

"Allen's eyes are silver, by the way…" He murmured quietly, eyeing the teen softly. There was silence for a long moment before Allen whimpered, drooping slightly as tears ran down his face. He sniffled, crying again and collapsed in the man's arms. Mana allowed them to sink onto the floor, his muscles feeling strangely strained, and cuddled his child comfortingly. Neah had tilted his head back, trying to mask the tears now streaming down his face.

"Idiot…" He parroted, scrubbing his face with an arm and joining his family on the ground. Mana happily wrapped an arm around him too, burying his face in Allen's snakes as they seemingly debated on rejoicing for their master or biting Mana's face off for hurting him. Lavi and Tyki chuckled quietly, keeping their distance as their love finally regained his father.

Allen hardly left Mana's side for the next couple of weeks, curling into him and tucking himself under his arm. Mana was perfectly happy to bask in the teen's attention, even though guilt lingered in his eyes. He hadn't apologised for what happened, adamant about his decision, but it was clear he regretted the consequences that it wrought. He kept Allen close, whispering assurances and comforting words, desperately trying to undo the years of self-hate the teen had imposed on himself. It took time to revert all of the "victims" from Allen's old village, but they were thoroughly rewarded for their effort. The villages were incredibly grateful, and Allen seemed lighter and lighter each day. His fear didn't change though, carefully maintaining his strict care towards his eyes. He _refused_ to have another incident. It was during another one of these runs that the teen found another stone creature.

"Neah…" Allen said uncertainly, holding up the stone in his hand. "You forgot one."

Neah glared at the small stone, huffing a bit and skulking over with a pout. Allen was fairly sure he heard a muttered "didn't forget" before the man motioned for the bench. By this point, Mana, Lavi and Tyki had wandered over to see what was happening. His uncle grabbed one of the many spray bottles at hand and sprayed the stone uneasily, covering it in a fine mist. The stone practically melted away, leaving a very disgruntled _thing_ in its wake. The mushroom wriggled angrily, and made a high-pitched sound of disapproval. Mana giggled and Neah paled.

"Mushroom fairy~" Mana sung as creepily as he could.

" _What the fuck._ " Lavi whispered passionately.


	4. The Whim of the Winds - Poker Pair

_**Summary:**_ Allen is a Kitsune who has long fallen in love with a human who wandered into his life on the whim of the winds of fate. Poker Pair, Kitsune!Allen

 _ **Rating:**_ T – ~ – _**Genre:**_ Romance – ~ – _**Characters:**_ Allen, Tyki, brief tirade from Sheryl, vague mention of Mana

 **WARNING:** boy love (don't like, don't read), possibly OOC

 **AN:** _So_ sorry this is took so long to get out, LocalPervert (Guest)! My mind has _not_ been cooperating with me. Here is your request of Kitsune!Allen, I hope you like it! And, I hope everyone enjoys!

* * *

Allen woke slowly, his nine, long tails spread out around him. He blinked his eyes open as he felt Tyki card his fingers through the Kitsune's soft, snow white fur. The man was sprawled out beside him on their overly large bed, eyes still closed as he clung to sleep. Allen smiled, as much as a fox's maw would allow, and sighed in content. They had been together so long now… It still amazed the fox that he had gotten so lucky. After all, humans wondering into the spirit realm wasn't exactly a daily occurrence. It wasn't _rare_ , by any means, but it definitely wasn't common. And for him to have not only found one, but to have fallen in love with him, _and_ have that love _returned_? Allen felt like the luckiest being in the world.

He remembered that day so vividly, when the man wandered into the spirit realm through a 'Soft Spot', a weak point between the fabric of the human world and theirs. The fox had been resting on a ledge of soft grass, basking in the warmth of the sun. However, humans experienced the Spirit realm much differently than its inhabitants. To the humans, this world was cold, dark and covered in a _deep_ fog that turned you around until you were so lost you perished, doomed to wander around forever as a restless ghost. Allen wasn't sure how long the man had been in their realm, but he had been shivering, panting, pale, on the verge of death. So the fox had taken pity on him. Allen wasn't malevolent, like so many others, and he didn't really hate humans so much as he didn't trust them, much like they didn't trust spirits. So, he trounced down to the man, startling the poor thing, and offered him a tail in greeting. The man looked baffled for a moment, then hesitantly shook the offered appendage. Allen snickered lightly.

" _You won't get out on your own, you know_ ," He informed lightly. The human barely reacted when his ethereal voice echoed around them, almost like he had known that Allen could speak. " _I can show you the way out, if you like_ …" The human frowned at this.

"Why should I trust you? You could lead me astray even worse." He replied cautiously, and Allen laughed, a sound not unlike the tinkling of thousands of bells. The human shivered at the sound, but Allen couldn't tell if it was from pleasure or fear through the thick glasses the man wore.

" _That is true… But like I said, you can't get out of here on your own_." The fox let that sink in for a moment, before offering the human a deal. " _If you're worried, then appease me. A trade. Give me something you value, and I will grant your desire to leave this place_." He tittered, giving the human a calming look. The human wavered, though his figure had relaxed slightly in relief. He chewed his lip for a moment, patting down his ratty clothes. After a moment of searching, he finally sighed, bringing out a deck of cards. He hesitated, then offered it to the fox. Allen felt a smile curling the edges of his maw. He reached out, trailing the tip of a long tail over the trinket the human had offered him. He purred.

" _Well used, well_ _ **loved**_ _. Perfect_." He snatched the item away, and in a puff of purple mist it reappeared attached to a rope around his neck. " _This way, little human_." He waved a tail and trotted off in the opposite direction the human had been going. The man made a disbelieving noise, but followed after the fox anyway. Allen extended a tail with a snicker.

" _Here, take my tail. And keep up, human, otherwise you'll get lost in this fog forever_." He warned, letting the man wrap his tail around his wrist securely. The human nodded gravely, and Allen got a flash of the weary eyes behind the swirling glasses. A pleasant gold, like an elder Kitsune's fur. Allen purred again. How pretty. It had been a long time since he'd seen a human with eyes such a colour… He missed that man greatly, the one who called him 'Allen'… The fox shook himself out of his thoughts, it wouldn't do the human any good for his mind to wander. Then he really _would_ die here. He bounded through the plains before him, forcing the human to run with panting breaths. But he didn't complain, instead occupying his thoughts elsewhere.

"Why are you wearing my cards around your neck?" He asked quietly, hesitantly. Allen snorted softly.

" _I'm wearing_ _ **my**_ _cards around my neck because they're my treasure. You gave these precious cards to me in exchange for your freedom, unless you want them back_ …" He started tugging his tail away, the cards turning transparent in their string. The human gaped. Panicked, he gripped Allen's tail tighter.

"No!" He cried, then bit his lip. "I need to get back… My family's waiting for me." His voice turned low, soft in a way only a human who loved could manage. Allen smiled, eyes narrowing in pleasure. He _adored_ humans who valued their families. They were rarer than he would like. He settled his tail tighter around the man's wrist, and gave a firm tug.

" _Come on then, human, were almost there_." The human huffed, eyeing the balls of fire dancing around them.

"What are those for?" He asked hesitantly, gesturing to the circle of flaming orbs.

" _Protection. To ward off other Spirits, and let them know you're under my protection, little human_." He explained, adding another flame to the circle when he sensed a Spirit coming in for a closer look. This time the human clicked his tongue.

"Why do you keep calling me _little_. I'm not young, and it can't be my height." He protested. Allen laughed heartily.

" _Look up Kitsune's when you get back and you'll see that in my eyes you_ _ **are**_ _young_." He said, eyeing the human. He was still panting, and he looked even paler. " _That's enough talk, save your breath_." The fox ordered. The man didn't complain, nodding with a grimace. It took entirely too long to find the closest Soft Spot, in both of their honest opinions. By the time they arrived, the human was pale as death and breathing hard. Allen tugged the man to a stop, and gestured to the patch of bright light before them. It looked like a tear in space itself.

" _Here we are_ ," Allen stated with satisfaction, eyeing the Soft Spot appraisingly. " _All you have to do is jump through here. No telling where you'll end up though, these things are finicky_. _You'll be back in the human world, that's all I can tell you."_ The human frowned, eyed the bright patch and wrinkled his nose.

" _Jump…_ through _there_?" He panted, voice entirely too concerned. Allen laughed.

" _Would you like a kiss for luck_?" He teased with a purr. The man wrinkled his nose again.

"You're a _fox_." He protested. Allen snickered. He stood on his hind legs, front paws resting on the man's shoulders, and let his form shift. His body melted into a human form, shimmering in the dim light, so that only his ears and tails gave away his origin. The man's lips parted in a silent gasp as Allen's now-human form leant up against him, eyes half-mast and lips curling into a seductive smirk.

"Better…?" He purred, licking the man's lips. The human swallowed heavily, pupils dilating slightly in desire. Allen purred, dragging his hands down to the man's chest, and pushed. The man yelped lightly as he fell backwards into the portal of light. Allen laughed lightly, taking advantage of the swell of energy to follow the human down.

Tyki landed on his back with a dull _thud_ , the air knocked out of his lungs. He took a moment to breath, then sat up and looked around. He was surrounded by a field of flowers, and he had absolutely _no idea_ where he was. Not even a moment later and his phone was ringing, shrilly and incessantly. He jolted slightly and fumbled to answer it.

"Sheryl?" He answered, before yanking the phone away when he heard his brother's panicked shrieking. "Brother! Calm _down_ , I'm _fine_! Yes, I'm alive, no, I'm not injured, I have no idea where I am, and you wouldn't believe me if I told you." He answered the questions he knew would be first priority, listening to his brother's relieved sniffling soon after. Tyki stopped, a shiver running down his spine, and looked behind him in search of the source of the feeling.

Allen watched on with a grin, hiding in the shadows of a nearby tree, intent on following the man. Looks like his human was more sensitive than he had given him credit for, he had already sniffed out Allen's presence. But that wouldn't be a problem~. He was going to have some fun…

Allen had expected to get bored with the man eventually and return back to the spirit realm. He _hadn't_ expected to fall in love. With the man, with his family, with his world. He hadn't expected to find a _home_. But here he was, curled up with his human and perfectly content. The fox nuzzled his love, cold nose pressing into his cheek. Tyki grumbled lowly, cracking an eye open, before letting it drift shut again.

"You're still in your fox form…" He mumbled sleepily, burying his fingers further into the Kitsune's fur. Allen snickered.

" _Not that you care_ …" He muttered silkily, before letting his form shift. He stretched his now-human limbs over the top of his love, shifting so that he was lying on top of the man. He pressed a soft kiss to the man's lips. Tyki sighed in content, letting his love rain kisses on him until he could be bothered moving. His nose, his eyes, his forehead, cheeks, lips, ears, neck. Nowhere was safe from the kitsune's affection. Tyki sighed again, perfectly happy to lie there all day. But, Allen needed food at the very least, or Tyki wouldn't get his kisses. He stretched with a moan until his back popped satisfactorily, then sat up, wrapping his arms around his Kitsune so he wouldn't fall. Allen settled in his lap happily, snuggling close and wrapping his legs around the man's waist, his arms draped over his shoulders. He gave his human a cheeky smirk. Tyki sighed dramatically, swinging his legs over the edge of bed and standing up. He wobbled dangerously before getting his bearings, then began making his way downstairs.

It was a short trip to the kitchen, though Tyki almost tumbled down the stairs when he misjudged a step. Luckily, Allen was powerful enough to catch them before they fell. The rest of the short walk had been smooth sailing, and now Tyki was rifling around in the cupboards while Allen clung to him, nose buried in his neck contently. That didn't stop the Kitsune from helping though, tails weaving magic throughout the kitchen to help his love prepare. Tyki had started humming at some point. Nothing but a tuneless murmur really, but the sound of his voice was like a blanket to Allen, soothing and warm. The fox loved it. He started kissing the man's neck and cheek, chaste little presses against delicate skin. Tyki hummed happily, but eventually sighed.

"That's very distracting you know…" He murmured, amusement and content. Allen snickered against his ear. Tyki shivered at the feeling of the fox's breathe against his skin. He sighed again.

"Distracting." He muttered, pretending to be annoyed. Allen could practically _hear_ the pout. He laughed lightly, pressing more kisses against the man's skin, this time adding little nibbles for effect. Tyki moaned, half exasperated, half blissful. Allen giggled, and Tyki started laughing. He spun them around until the sound of Allen's chiming laughter was all he could hear. He slowed to a stop, wobbling steps taking him to the edge of the bench. He chuckled, waiting for Allen's laughter to die down. The fox's face was flushed with happiness, and he was smiling. It was Tyki's favourite sight. The human smiled warmly, pressing a warm kiss to his love's lips.

"I love you, you devious little fox." Tyki said heartfeltly, pressing their foreheads together. Allen smiled widely, eyes crinkling in happiness.

"And I love you, my silly little human, now and forever." He murmured softly, a deck of cards dangling from his neck.

 **~ Fin ~**

* * *

 **AN:** It ended up fluffier than originally planned… oh well! Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!


End file.
